Final Fantasy VII: Legacy
by TifaTheMonkVII
Summary: its been almost a year since the the take down of Deep Ground. The group has gone their separate ways again but something is happening that may force them to reunite.
1. Family

Final Fantasy VII Legacy

Cars zipped by on the busy street in front of Tifa's Seventh Heaven, a small bar in the growing city of Edge. Some of the citizens were now even affectionately referring to it as "Neo Midgar". Tifa sighed as she gazed out the window. She thought that after the whole Geostigma epidemic was finally resolved, that Cloud would stop being so distant with her, but it seemed that his standoffish demeanor had returned. She tried not to let it bother her as she glanced back at his empty room.

"Are you okay, Tifa?" Marlene's voice broke through Tifa's thoughts. Marlene Wallace was the adopted daughter of Barret Wallace who had taken her in after her mother and father had died. Marlene had been left in Cloud and Tifa's care while Barret went to sort out some personal problems. Barret, now having found a new job as a driller in Cid Highwind's oil field, still needed Tifa to help watch over Marlene. Marlene was mature beyond her years, and very perceptive. Tifa knew she wasn't fooling the young girl when she gave her a weak smile and replied, "Everything is fine, Marlene."

Marlene nodded slowly. "You are worried about Cloud?" Tifa gazed at her for a moment. "Yes... I just wish he would come home..." Tifa finally confessed. As she said this, the young boy that Cloud had taken in about 3 years ago, Denzel walked in from outside. His bright expression darkened when he saw Cloud's empty room. "He's still not here?" He asked, disappointment coming from him in waves. Tifa looked at him sympathetically. Denzel had a particularly strong attachment to Cloud. He saw Cloud as a role model and even a father figure after he had lost both of his parents when Sector 7 was crushed by President Shinra. Cloud had taken him in some time after Meteorfall and had even found a cure for the Geostigma that afflicted them both. A final gift from Aerith in the form of cleansing water.

"He said he wasn't going to run off again." Denzel said bitterly. With that he stomped off to his room and slammed the door shut. Marlene looked over at Tifa and let out a heavy sigh, "I'll go and talk with him."

Tifa felt a surge of anger course through her. It was one thing for Cloud to be distant with her, but his absence was having a negative effect on the children they cared for. Tifa picked up her phone and dialed Cloud's number, only to be reminded that his phone was out of service. She let out an exasperated hiss and threw her phone down. Whenever he did come back, she was going to give him a piece of her mind.

What bothered her the most was things HAD been getting better. After Sephiroth had been defeated again, and Geostigma had been cured by that mysterious rain that fell, he had returned home. That smile she had seen, lighting up his face in the church, standing waist deep in the pool of water, surrounded by rejoicing children, had held so much promise. That evening, as their friends celebrated in the Seventh Heaven, Cloud had pulled her aside and promised he wouldn't leave her again, that he had changed. Had she been mistaken in trusting him? Had he really allowed himself to move on? Some of the old Cloud would emerge at times, that shy and at times dorky boy she remembered from Nibelhiem. He had eagerly helped Vincent in stopping Hojo and Deep Ground... That had been nearly a year ago. Their friends had gone their separate ways again, and Barret continued to leave Marlene under Tifa and Cloud's care.

"I think taking care of those kids, is good for ya." He commented to them just before he left with Cid to Rocket Town.

Just then, the front door swung open and in walked a man with red slicked back hair. "Johnny?!" Tifa's eyes widened. "What are you doing here?"

The man flashed her a nervous smile. "I wanted to see an old friend." He said as he approached the bar counter. Tifa walked over and nodded politely at him, "How is business going for you?" She asked.

"It's going well, though you give me some pretty stiff competition, for customers." He replied warmly. Johnny folded his hands as he leaned over the counter. "Look, Tifa..." He said after a long pause. "I'm going to cut to the chase... I'm crazy about you, I always have been, and I can't stand watching you wait around for that blond fool forever. You deserve better than that, Tifa. I could make you happy."

Tifa was taken aback. True, she has known that Johnny had a fixation on her for years, but this was the first time he had been so upfront about it. She found herself speechless.

Johnny stared into her eyes so intensely, she had to look away. "Please,... Tifa." He pleaded with her. "Forget about Cloud. I would never abandon you, as he has. I would take care of the children too."

Tifa suddenly turned to face him, "How do you know about all of this?" She demanded, suspicion welling inside her.

"Denzel tells me." Johnny replied. "He comes to my cafe for root beer floats every once in awhile."

Tifa frowned. She wasn't happy that her personal issues were being discussed behind her back. "I think you should leave." She said flatly.

"Please... Tifa. Just give me a chance. Let me prove myself to you." Johnny pleaded once again.

"Go, away!" Tifa said sharply, turning her back to him. Johnny nodded with defeat and sadly walked out the door without another word. Tifa walked up to the door and locked it, hanging the closed sign in the window. She was in no mood for customers right now.

Tifa walked into the room she shared with Cloud and shut the door, finally allowing the tears that she had been holding back to flow freely. Something that Johnny had said, cut her heart like a knife. He had said, " I would never abandon you as he has." Tifa sat down on the edge of her bed and shut her eyes. What if Johnny was right? Was she wasting her time on Cloud? Would he ever love her the way she loved him?

...

Nanaki padded silently through the dark forest. He had gone back to studying the Planet's wildlife after the battle in Edge. Truth be told, Nanaki missed his friends, and hoped to run into Yuffie or Vincent in these woods. That's when Nanaki realized that he was approaching Wutai. He hadn't even noticed that his paw steps were leading him there. "Perhaps I long for the days when we were together..." Nanaki thought to himself. Some part of him wished that Cloud and the others could be together for some other reason rather than only in times of crisis.

"Nanaki!" Yuffie's voice broke though his thoughts as she barreled into him, hugging him fiercely. "Ouch... That hurts." He grumbled. "What are you doing here?" Yuffie asked. "You are a long way from Cosmo Canyon."

Nanaki tilted his head to the side in his version of a shrug. "I'm not sure." He confessed. "Perhaps I just wanted to see a friendly face."

Yuffie glanced at him curiously then started tugging at the fur around his neck. "Did you at least bring me some materia?" She demanded. "Ouch! Stop that!" Nanaki pulled his lips back in the beginnings of a snarl. "No, I didn't bring you any materia."

Yuffie placed her hands on her hips crossly. "Why did you come here and not bring me any materia?" she whined.

"I told you, it was sort of an unplanned trip." Nanaki said defensively. Yuffie pouted, and frowned. "It must be nice to have that kind of leisure time. I'm trying to rebuild a nation here, but how can I do that without materia?" she wailed.

Nanaki sighed and pulled a glowing pink orb from his gold armlet. "Here, you can have this one. It's the only one I have."

Yuffie grabbed it eagerly but her mouth twisted in distain as she examined it. "What?! A Chocobo Lure? What am I supposed to do with this?!" Nanaki shrugged. "I'm not sure. However, that's the only materia I have."

Yuffie frowned. "I can't rebuild Wutai to it's former glory, with a damn Chocobo Lure! I need summons! I need powerful materia!" She wailed.

"You will have to talk to Cloud about that." Nanaki pointed out. "He's the one with the powerful materia."

"I would, except that spikey haired jerk is never around." Yuffie grumbled. "Honestly, I kinda feel bad for Tifa. She's always by herself." Yuffie's tone softened a bit as a sympathetic look came over her face.

"Perhaps I should pay her a visit. I haven't seen Tifa or the children in quite some time." Nanaki murmured, half to himself. "Hey! Great idea! I'll come too! Maybe Tifa will give me some of her materia!" Yuffie brightened up. Before Nanaki could say another word, Yuffie had bolted ahead in the direction of Edge. Nanaki shook his head and followed after her.

...

Cid Highwind leaned back in his chair and let out a satisfied sigh. "Well, Shera... I have to hand it to you, your cooking is improving."

Shera stared at him with wide eyes. It was a rare occurrence for Cid to give out compliments, especially to her. However, truth be told, he did seem to appreciate her more since her bout with Geostigma and almost died. She dipped her head gratefully. "Thank you, Cid." She said.

Barret glanced at Cid with an amused smirk on his face. "So... Looks like you're softening up in your old age." He chuckled. "Oh shaddup." Cid scowled and clamped his teeth down on the unlit cigarette that he had in his mouth. Shera quietly pulled up a chair and sat down at the table. "So..." She asked cautiously. "Have you found anymore oil wells?"

Barret furrowed his brow, and shook his head with a frustrated grunt. "We keep coming up dry."

"There's no way we'll be able to keep the airship in the sky with the amount of oil we have left." Cid grumbled. "If we don't find more oil soon, we'll be grounded."

Barret nodded. "Hell, maybe we just ain't drilling down far enough."

Cid let out a long sigh. "I hope yer right, cuz we can't go back to Mako energy."

Barret stood up and left the table. "I'm gonna call Marlene for a bit." Barret said. He went out to the back porch where it was quiet and dialed Tifa's phone number.

"Hello? Barret?" Tifa's voice spoke on the other end. "Hey Tifa, is Marlene around? I'd like to talk to her." Barret said. He noted that Tifa's voice sounded strained, as if she were having a difficult time sounding happy. "Is everything alright over there?"

"Yeah, everything is fine." Tifa said simply. "Here's Marlene."

"Daddy!" Marlene's voice piped on the phone. Barret felt a smile come to his face. "Hey! There you are! How are you doing? Are you behaving yourself?"

"Yes, Dad. I'm helping out Tifa with her work too. I help cook and clean." Marlene said cheerfully. "Good. I'm so proud of you, Marlene. You are growing up so fast. I'm glad you are helping Tifa." Barret said. "Say, she seemed kinda upset on the phone... Is she doing alright?"

Marlene lowered her voice to a whisper. "I think she's upset because Cloud left and hasn't been back in awhile."

Barret sighed, "Well Marlene, you give Spikey a good kick when you see him, from me." Marlene giggled, "Okay, Daddy. I will."

"I'll come and see you soon, okay?" Barret said affectionately. As he hung up, he felt that familiar lump in his throat. He missed his daughter a lot, but if he was going to support her properly, he needed this job that Cid had given him. Soon he would be able to buy a proper house and Marlene would have a nice place to live. Barret made a mental note to go to Edge soon. For now, he would get some rest. He had a long day of drilling ahead.

...

A warm breeze blew over the cerulean waves as they crashed on the shore of Costa del Sol. Cloud Strife didn't particularly like the crowds of people that came to this tourist attraction, but he needed the money, so he offered his delivery services to the travelers. There were plenty of rich tourists who tipped well, so it was good for business.

Cloud pulled out his phone. He had been in the desert around the Gold Saucer for weeks and didn't have phone service there. Now that he was back in civilization he saw that he had a staggering 50 missed calls, 30 from Tifa, 15 from Barret and 5 from Yuffie. Cloud let out a heavy sigh. He knew he was going to have some explaining to do when he got home.

Truth be told, he didn't like that he had to keep secrets from Tifa, and had stayed away for longer than he had intended, but he promised himself that he would make it up to her, and when she saw what he was planning for her, everything would work out fine.

Cloud walked into the Inn room he had been using for 3 months and dragged out the wooden chest he was storing his earnings in. It was getting quite full. He gazed at it with a small smile. Soon he would have enough...


	2. Secrets

The full moon cast a ghostly light on the once great city of Wutai. The ancient murals looked almost otherworldly in the pale light.

Vincent Valentine sat silently on top of the Pagoda, the tallest building in Wutai and scanned the streets below. Where was Yuffie? He saw her father, Godo walking by himself near the steps of the Pagoda. Perhaps he knew where she was. As Vincent leapt down to the ground, Godo approached him.

"You just missed her." He said, as if reading Vincent's thoughts. Vincent turned to face him, a look of slight surprise crossed his face. Godo let out a light chuckle. "You were looking for Yuffie, yes? It wasn't hard to guess."

Vincent nodded silently. Godo continued, "She left for Edge. She said something about getting materia for Wutai." He shook his head, but the old man's eyes twinkled with amusement.

Vincent dipped his head respectfully and without another word, he headed south on his way to Edge. Vincent had gone to see Lucrecia again after defeating Omega and foiling Hojo's latest scheme. Even though she was encased in crystal, he still felt a small amount of comfort being near her, but also realized he couldn't spend the rest of his life living in the past.

Despite his attempts to remain detached from everyone, he knew the emptiness he felt in his heart was him missing his friends. Perhaps Nanaki was right, even though he knew he would outlive his friends, he would still have their memories together. Vincent also needed their help, particularly Yuffie.

Something strange was going on in the mountains and he needed someone familiar with the area. He needed to hurry.

...

Dim lights flickered in the damp cave as a young silver haired man tried to spoon food into his fathers mouth. "You must eat, father." The young man fretted.

"What is the point?!" The older man erupted. He was a sight to behold. He wore a ragged lab coat, he had long stringy hair, one lens of his glasses was cracked, and he sat in a rickety wheelchair, with one arm in a cast.

"I have lost everything!" The older man lamented. "I've lost my lab, my life's work, and my health because of that bastard, Valentine! I was once the most feared man in Shinra's science division! I was respected! I had power and authority!... Now it's all gone."

"Our new project has plenty of subjects and we will begin our work immediately, but I need you in good health, so you must eat!" The younger man urged. "Soon Cloud, Vincent and their band of misfits will pay for what they have done to you." The young man vowed.

...

Reno tapped his baton impatiently as Tseng rifled through a massive pile of paperwork on his desk. Tseng furrowed his brow as he read the extensive report.

Rude cast a wary glance at his red headed partner through his shades. "What do you think the boss is reading?" He asked in a low voice.

Reno peered at Tseng and tried to read his emotions. "I'm not sure." He replied. "But whatever it is, I don't think it's good."

After a long silence, Tseng finally stood from his desk, a dark expression on his face. Reno and Rude exchanged uneasy looks.

"There are rogue groups of ex-Shinra executives planning an assassination of President Rufus." He said grimly. "I'm also receiving reports that Hojo is still alive."

"Why would ex-Shinra employees want to assassinate President Rufus?" Elena interjected.

"They feel he is weak. They long for the old ways the company was run. They feel that the downfall of Shinra happened when he assumed leadership." Tseng replied flatly.

"That's outrageous!" Elena sputtered. "Meteorfall was Sephiroth's doing! Rufus was doing what he could to protect the Planet!"

"I know, Elena." Tseng said quietly. "Some of the older executives preferred the more ruthless way the previous president ran things. Rufus is trying to run the company in a more moral way than his father. Not everyone appreciates the new direction."

"Do we know where these rogue cells are operating?" Rude asked simply. "No..." Tseng said, unable to completely hide his disappointment. "They are being smart. Every time we get a lead, they move locations."

"Their luck will run out eventually." Reno said with a confident smirk. "No one can outrun the Turks for long."

"That is your assignment. I want you to find and destroy any rogue cells you come across." Tseng ordered. "I want this problem dealt with as soon as possible."

"Yes, sir!" Reno, Rude and Elena said in unison. With that, the three Turks turned and left the room, eager to get started.

...

Cloud pulled his motorbike, Fenrir into the rear parking lot behind Seventh Heaven. He walked quietly in through the back door. It was 4 o'clock in the morning and all of the lights were off. He was just about to open the bedroom door when it swung open. Tifa stood in the doorway with a pained expression on her face.

"So... you came back." She said quietly. Her voice sounded strained as she tried to hold back her emotions.

Cloud felt a pit in his stomach as he looked at her. He hadn't meant to hurt her. He had so much he wanted to tell her, but now wasn't the time.

Tifa walked past him and walked down the hallway towards the bar without a word. Cloud followed her, hoping to smooth things over. He approached her slowly, only to have her turn away from him.

"Tifa... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to be gone for so long." Cloud placed a hand on her shoulder. Tifa pulled away from him, refusing to face him. "Tifa... Please don't shut me out." He pleaded with her.

Tifa finally turned to face him, tears streaming down her face. "Why didn't you call? Don't you know how worried I was? I had no idea where you were or if you were okay..." Tifa sobbed. She lowered her head and stared at the ground. "I thought we were past this. I thought you were finally ready to move on. What's worse is you upset Denzel. Don't you know how important you are to him? He looks up to you, Cloud." She continued.

"I'm so sorry, Tifa. I'll make it up to you and Denzel too. I promise." Cloud said pulling her close and hugging her. "I'm sorry I was so secretive... I- I was planning something special." He said carefully. "Everything will make sense soon."

Tifa let out a deep breath and allowed herself to relax in his arms. Perhaps he was doing something important. He seemed to be genuinely remorseful, that he had upset her, so perhaps things weren't as bad as she had thought. Perhaps wasn't abandoning her or pushing her away. She knew she couldn't stay mad at him, no matter how much he unintentionally hurt her. Tifa relaxed her rigid shoulders and hugged Cloud back.

"I'm... just glad you're safe." Tifa said finally. "You should get to bed. It's late and you are probably exhausted."

Cloud nodded and headed back to the hallway where the bedrooms were. He paused outside of Denzel's room and debated whether or not to wake him, but decided against it. He would catch up with him in the morning. Cloud felt for the small box in his pocket to make sure it was still there. He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers closed around it. He felt butterflies dance in his stomach as he thought about how he would handle asking the most important question of his life, one that would change the way things were forever...

...

Elena stared intently at the file Tseng had handed her. As she flipped through the pages, she noticed a startling trend, every page contained the profile of a child, ranging in age from as young as 4 to as old as 17. All of the children were the offspring of ex-SOLDIER's and all of them were missing.

"Children are being snatched off the streets." Tseng finally broke his silence. "There also seems to be a pattern to the disappearances."

Elena nodded, "They all have a parent who was part of the SOLDIER program... But why?"

Tseng frowned, "That's what you are going to find out. I want you to find out who is taking these children and why they are being taken. Whatever the purpose is, it can't be good."

"Yes, sir!" Elena stood at attention and dipped her head respectfully. Finally! A decent assignment. Elena hugged the file to her chest and hurried out of the room. This was her big chance to prove herself to Tseng.

When she reached her private quarters, she placed the heavy file on her desk and flicked on the lamp. She felt her heart sink at the sheer volume of missing children. It wasn't just the children of SOLDIER's First Class, but Second class as well. A part if her sympathized with the pain the parents of these lost children must be feeling. She stared long and hard at the first photo in the file. A red headed boy about the age of 8 who had last been seen on the outskirts of Junon. That was where she would start.

...

Denzel slowly opened his eyes as the morning sun filtered in through his window. He sat up and gave himself a good stretch. Out of habit, he felt his forehead. He knew his Geostigma was gone, but a part of him still felt the need to check and make sure it was still gone. With relief, he felt no pain, just healthy skin. He approached his window that faced the rear parking lot and his eyes widened in surprise. Cloud's motorbike sat gleaming in the morning sun just outside. Cloud was back! Denzel hurriedly changed into his clothes and bolted out of his door.

"Cloud!" He called down the hall. The door to the bedroom Tifa and Cloud shared, opened and Cloud stumbled out, looking groggy. "Denzel? What is it?" He asked, half asleep.

"What time did you get back last night?" Denzel asked, feeling a bit guilty about waking him up.

"Four in the morning." Tifa answered from the kitchen. She was up bright and early as usual. "He's had a very long night, you should let him rest, Denzel."

Denzel deflated a bit at that and lowered his head to hide his disappointment. "I promise we will catch up later, okay?" Cloud said, placing a hand on Denzel's head and affectionately ruffled his hair. Denzel brightened up after that. "Okay! It's a deal!" he nodded enthusiastically.

With that, Cloud dragged himself back to the bedroom and shut the door. Denzel let out a sigh, it was as if Cloud wasn't even back yet. "Oh well..." Denzel said to himself. "Guess I'll help the girls with breakfast."

Tifa was already bustling with the morning customers. Marlene was chatting with an elderly woman who was a regular. Tifa ran back behind the counter and fetched a hot tea kettle off the stove, handing it to Denzel. "Start pouring tea for the customers, please." She said in a brisk voice.

Denzel nodded and busied himself with his work. He tried to focus on the task at hand, but all he could keep thinking about was what he was going to ask Cloud when he woke up.

"Young man. " a sharply dressed middle aged man stared at him expectantly. "Would you mind pouring me some tea?"

Denzel nodded, feeling his cheeks flush with embarrassment. The man was polite, but it was clear from his tone that he was getting impatient. "S-sorry sir." Denzel said as he carefully poured the steaming beverage into the small ornate cup.

Just then, the door swung open and a loud bellowing voice shattered the quiet atmosphere. "Marlene! Tifa!" Barret Wallace strolled in and plopped down at a booth as Marlene ran over to him and hugged him tightly. "Daddy!" She cried happily. "You came!"

"Of course! I promised didn't I?" Barret's deep voice carried across the small diner and must have awoken Cloud out of his slumber, because he staggered out of his room and into the dining area. "Barret. It's good to see you." Cloud said a little sluggishly.

"Spiky! It's about damn time! Marlene tells me you went off and disappeared for awhile. You and me are gonna have a little chat about that, man to man." Barret raised an eyebrow, giving Cloud a stern look. Cloud glanced at Tifa who was busy with a customer, then he leaned in and whispered something to Barret, showing him a small felt box he pulled out of his pocket. A wide smile spread across Barret's face as he eyed the box. Cloud hastily put it back in his pocket and shot another nervous glance at Tifa.

Marlene walked over to Denzel and nudged him, as they watched the odd exchange. "What was that about?" She asked in a hushed voice. "I'm not sure. What do you think is in the box?" Denzel wondered aloud.

Barret slapped Cloud roughly on the shoulder and gave a hearty chuckle. "Good on ya, Spiky! I guess you'll amount to somethin' after all!"

Cloud looked around nervously and motioned at Barret to keep quiet. Denzel watched from the far side of the dining area with interest. Cloud was up to something... but what?

Marlene whispered in Denzel's ear, "We should try and see what's in the box later." Denzel nodded in agreement. Now he was curious. He wouldn't rest until he had some answers.

A few hours passed and Seventh Heaven's business began to finally slow down. Denzel approached Tifa who was absentmindedly wiping down the counter. "May I go and see what Cloud is up to?" Denzel asked.

Tifa looked up and gave him a warm smile. "Of course. You really helped me out a lot today, Denzel." She nodded towards the back room at the end of the hall that served as Cloud's office for the delivery service he ran. Denzel ran towards the office with a large grin on his face. He had so many questions.

Cloud looked focused on a map he had spread on the desk in front of him. Denzel approached him and turned his gaze to the map. The map was marked with Cloud's various travel routes he used to make deliveries between the various cities and towns.

Red lines on the map indicated Clouds usual business routes, blue circles indicated the dens of particularly strong monsters, but there was one dotted line marked in yellow that caught Denzel's attention. The line lead from Edge, through Myrthil Mine, and straight to a small lake in the middle of a forest. It didn't seem to lead anywhere where people would be.

"What's that?" Denzel asked, pointing questioningly at the yellow line. "That's... somewhere special." Cloud said quietly, giving nothing away. Denzel frowned. Cloud was being very secretive and seemed preoccupied.

"When are you going to teach me how to fight?" Denzel finally broke the silence. Cloud looked up from his map with a slightly stunned expression.

Denzel continued. "I want to be a strong fighter, like you and Tifa too." Denzel clenched his fists in determination. "I want to be able to protect people, not just be someone who needs to be rescued."

Cloud nodded at him, a knowing look on his face. "I understand how you feel. I will teach you, when I feel you are ready." Cloud said after a pause. "You are still young, and not quite there yet."

Denzel lowered his head in disappointment. "Okay... I understand." He said softly. "So when are you going to tell me what you have been up to these past few months?" He asked, changing the subject. Cloud gave him a small smile. "You'll find out soon enough."

...

That night, Tifa lay in her bed facing the window. Even though part of her was still upset at him, she was glad Cloud was back. She turned and pulled the cord to the lamp on the nightstand between her bed and Cloud's, and sat up. She looked over at his empty bed and sighed despondently. He must still be in his office, she thought to herself.

Tifa pulled out a book and decided to wait up for him. She hadn't had time to tell him all that she had on her mind, or ask him where he had been because of how busy they both were. Tifa was exhausted, but she was determined

to keep her eyes open, but as the hours dragged by, she finally succumbed to a deep slumber.

Tifa wasn't sure how long she had been asleep, but she noticed that her book had been placed back on the nightstand, and a blanket had been laid over her. She glanced over at Cloud's bed and noticed him laying there awake, and staring at her with a strange intensity, that his slightly glowing Mako eyes made even more obvious. Tifa rubbed her eyes. "How long was I asleep for?" She asked.

"I'm not sure, you were out like a light when I came to bed an hour ago." Cloud said, a hint of amusement in his voice.

Tifa groaned. "I wanted to talk to you, but I just couldn't keep my eyes open."

Cloud shook his head, peering at her in the pale moonlight that trickled through the window. "You work hard, Tifa. You didn't need to wait up for me."

Tifa let out a sigh. "I just wanted to ask you where you had gone during the past few months. I have no idea what you've been up to, and you won't tell me anything..."

Cloud looked like he was about to say something, but he stopped himself. He simply shook his head. "I will tell you, Tifa. I promise I will, when the time is right."

Tifa studied him carefully. He was certainly hiding something major, but he obviously wasn't going to tell her anything yet. "Alright." She said, resigned. She turned over and shut her eyes.

...

Cloud stared at her as she turned away, anguish gripping his heart. He would have to tell her his secret soon, because it was tearing him apart to keep it to himself. He had felt some relief being able to confide in Barret, but that could only do so much. In truth, the main thing that had held him back in the past, was fear. Fear of gaining happiness only to have it inevitably ripped away from him. Fear of not being able to protect his family. He was about to make a decision that would radically change his life forever. However, the more he thought about it, the more certain he was that he was making the right choice. He took a deep breath and allowed himself to be lulled to sleep by the sound of Tifa's soft rhythmic breathing... Only to be jarred awake moments later by Barret's loud snoring in the neighboring guest room. Cloud let out an exasperated sigh. It was going to be a long night.

...

"Hey, Spikey! Tifa!" Barret's bellowing voice echoed down the hall, jarring Cloud awake yet again. He groaned, rubbing the back of his neck. This was going to be a rough day. His eyes felt like sandpaper, having barely slept a wink last night. Tifa stretched and walked out of the bedroom to see what was going on.

"You'll never guess who just showed up!" Barret gestured outside the front door.

"Nanaki! Yuffie!" Tifa ran over and opened the door. Nanaki dipped his head in greeting, "Hello, Tifa. It's good to see you again." He padded into the bar, and Yuffie charged in after him, excitedly. "It's so good to see you!" Yuffie exclaimed, wrapping her arms around Tifa in a tight hug.

Tifa looked at the two new guests, a questioning look on her face. "What are you guys doing here?"

Yuffie gave Tifa a look of feigned hurt. "You mean you aren't happy to see us?"

Tifa laughed. "Of course I am! It's just, I wasn't expecting you. I would have made preparations for you if I had known you were coming.

"There is no need for that, Tifa." Nanaki shook his head. "We won't be staying long, it's just a short visit to see how you were doing."

Yuffie nodded in agreement but interjected, "Uh actually Tifa... I was wondering if you had any materia you would be willing to part with."

"Excuse me?" Tifa asked with a raised brow.

"Err... Never mind." Yuffie backed away sheepishly.

"You never change, do you, Yuffie?" Tifa said with a laugh.

Yuffie suddenly jumped up and ran past Tifa. "Cloud! You're here?"

Cloud let out a resigned sigh as Yuffie barreled into him and gave his arm an affectionate punch. Denzel and Marlene watched the reunion of friends from the counter with amused smiles.

While Cloud went and greeted Nanaki, Yuffie slyly reached into his pocket and grabbed the small box and ran off outside with it.

"HEY! Bring that back! NOW!" Cloud yelled, chasing after her, fury blazing in his luminous blue eyes.

Yuffie was startled by how angry he had become and froze in her tracks. She glanced down at the box in her hand and opened it. What she had been expecting was some rare or powerful materia, instead she saw a beautiful diamond ring that dazzled in the light. Yuffie's eyes widened as the realization hit her, no wonder he had chased her like a demon out of hell! A ring like this must have cost a fortune.

When Cloud caught up to her, she handed it over without an argument. "It's a beautiful ring." Yuffie commented with a raised brow. "It's for Tifa, isn't it?"

Cloud took the box back and quickly shoved it back into his pocket. "Not a word, Yuffie." Cloud pointed at her sternly. "Not a WORD." Yuffie nodded and smirked as she followed Cloud back inside.

...

Vincent Valentine made his way through the busy streets of Edge. He was aware of the strange looks he was getting. True, he must look imposing to the average person. He was tall, sinister looking, and wrapped in a ragged scarlet cape that covered half of his face.

Vincent paid no mind to them and headed straight for Tifa's bar. He paused for a moment as he saw Yuffie bolt out of the front door, carrying something in her hand. and a clearly outraged Cloud chased her down. Vincent couldn't help but lightly chuckle at the sight. Some things never changed. He walked in after them and was surprised to see Barret was there as well.

"Hey, Vincent! What are you doing here, ya damn vampire?" Barret gave Vincent a rough slap on the back. "I guess we all got the memo to show up at Tifa's today." He laughed. Cloud furrowed his brow. "Why did everyone show up so suddenly?"

"I has been planning on seeing Marlene for awhile." Barret explained. "I just tagged along with Nanaki." Yuffie added. "I was looking for Yuffie." Vincent finished.

"Why were you looking for me?" Yuffie asked, surprise etched across her face. "I have been noticing some strange activity around Wutai. I was wondering if you had noticed it too." Vincent explained.

Yuffie scratched her head sheepishly. "Actually, I haven't really noticed anything odd. What do you mean?"

Vincent crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I have seen strange people entering and exiting the caves in the mountains. It seems to me like something nefarious. I wanted to enlist your help to investigate it, since you are familiar with the area."

Yuffie thought for a moment then nodded vigorously. "Of course I'll help! No one is going to abuse my home like that! Count me in!"

Cloud, Tifa, and Barret and Nanaki all listened with interest. "What sort of strange people, Vincent?" Cloud asked.

"I'm not sure." Vincent confessed. "They move in darkness and whenever I try to follow them, I lose them in the mountains. That's why I need Yuffie."

Yuffie nodded vigorously. "Of course! We should leave right away!" Without another word, she charged full speed out of the front door. Vincent let out a heavy sigh and followed after her. He turned his head as he left and gave Tifa a wave. "Sorry that my visit had to be brief. You and Cloud take care." With that, Vincent swiftly and silently exited, leaving Tifa somewhat stunned.

Tifa turned to Cloud, " What do you think is happening in Wutai? Cloud shook his head. "I don't know. This is the first I'm hearing of it."

Nanaki approached. "It was good to see you all again, but perhaps I should accompany Vincent and Yuffie." Tifa nodded. "Yes, let us know when you find out what's going on."

Nanaki dipped his head and padded out of the door to follow after Vincent.

...

Hojo wheeled down the dark tunnel that lead to the system of caves that served as his base of operations. In the deepest part of the main cave sat a makeshift laboratory. The dank musty air hung heavy and water dripped from the cavernous ceiling.

Scarlet had been busy procuring lab equipment, and now Hojo was able to continue his life's greatest joy of performing strange experiments. Lining the walls of the laboratory where rows and rows of cages filled with terrified children. Some where as young as 4 others as old as 17.

Hojo smirked, he had no shortage of subjects. These children would become the next generation of SOLDIER.

Soon he would take his rightful place as the new head of Shinra and a powerful new army of SOLDIER's to keep the people in line. Yes... everything was going splendidly.

Hojo allowed his gaze to rest on his son, Victor. Victor looked a lot like his half brother Sephiroth, tall, thin, with silver hair and sharp features, however that was where the similarities stopped. Sephiroth was perfection. Sephiroth was Hojo's greatest creation, but Victor... Victor was weak. He was a disappointment, but Victor was all he had now. His lesser son would have to be the one to carry the mantle now.

...

Barret watched with pride as Marlene worked alongside Tifa. Marlene was growing up so fast. She was an eager helper and a fast learner. Barret was thoroughly enjoying his visit with his adopted daughter.

He was deep in thought when Cloud sat down next to him in a booth. "Marlene is doing really great, you know. She misses you a lot though." Cloud commented.

"Yeah... She may be the only thing I've gotten right in my life." Barret responded gruffly.

"Listen...Barret. I have a favor to ask of you." Cloud asked, glancing over at Tifa who was busy cleaning the countertop. Barret raised an eyebrow and peered at Cloud questioningly. "Sure, Spikey. Whatcha need?" He asked.

"I need you to look after the Seventh Heaven for Tifa tomorrow. I... uh...I need to take her out somewhere and she will need someone here to watch over things while we are away." Cloud said.

Barret smirked at the nervous way Cloud was acting and shifting in his seat. It wasn't hard for Barret to figure out why. "Ya finally gonna ask-"

"Shhh!" Cloud clamped a hand over Barret's mouth and shot him a fierce glare. "Keep it down will you?!" He whispered hoarsely.

Barret simply let out a chuckle. "Atta boy, Spikey." Barret gave Cloud's shoulder a shake. "Sure, I'll hold down the fort here. It will give me a chance to spend more quality time with Marlene."

Cloud nodded and gave him a small smile of gratitude. "Thanks Barret. I owe you one." Cloud stood up and left without another word and headed straight for his office, shutting the door behind him.

...

Moonlight trickled into the bedroom as Tifa tossed and turned, trying to fall asleep. Cloud had locked himself away the whole day and was acting strangely. She had noticed him whispering to Barret several times. What was it that he could share with Barret but not her? They were childhood friends after all.

She tried to not let it bother her, but she couldn't help but feel a bit peeved at his secrecy. Maybe this was karma getting back at her for the secrets she had kept from him. She stared blankly at the ceiling trying to relax, and finally drifted off to sleep.

...

Cloud slipped into the bedroom quietly. Tifa was asleep and he didn't want to wake her. He sat down on the edge of his bed and gazed at her longingly. There were times he still felt like that boy from Nibelhiem, still afraid to talk to her, stuck on the outside looking in. He thought back to a conversation he had years ago with his friend Zack Fair, a SOLDIER first class. Cloud had failed to make the cut and was only an Infantryman.

"So why did you want to join SOLDIER in the first place?" Zack asked.

"... No reason." Cloud replied ducking his head a bit. Zack shook his head "You know I don't believe that for one second. Come on, you can tell me." Zack said flashing him a bright smile. "We're friends now, right?"

Cloud nodded and finally relented. "Okay... well there's... this girl from my hometown. I just was hoping that if I made first class in SOLDIER, maybe she would... notice me." Cloud lowered his head in shame. "But none of that matters now. I didn't make it. I wasn't strong enough. I guess I won't be able to keep my promise to her."

Zack frowned "What promise?"

"She asked me to promise when I made it big as a SOLDIER, that if she was ever in a pinch, I'd come save her." Cloud said quietly.

Zack patted him on the shoulder. "Hey, you don't have to be a SOLDIER to get her out of a tough spot. It seems to me like she has already noticed you. All you need to do is tell her how you feel."

Cloud's train of thought brought him back to the present. Cloud sighed. He knew what he needed to do now. He just wished he had Zack's confidence. He told himself he wasn't going to blow it this time. He finally had an opportunity to really show Tifa how he felt. How he had always felt about her.

...

Tifa woke to Cloud standing over her, gently shaking her. "Tifa! Tifa, wake up!" he whispered urgently.

"Nugh..." Tifa moaned "What is it? What time is it?"

"It's 6:00. I have somewhere I want to take you. We should leave now, because we have a bit of a drive." Cloud said, with a tinge of excitement in his voice.

"Hmm?" Tifa rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at Cloud curiously. "What about the bar?" Cloud shook his head "Don't worry about it. I took care of it." Tifa sat up "What about Denzel and Marlene? Are they coming too?"

Cloud smiled at her, "No. Barret is staying here and agreed to watch the kids too." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "It's just going to be you and me."

Tifa felt her breath quicken as he stared into her eyes with that same intensity as the other night. What was he up to? Cloud grabbed her hand and lead her out of the room and towards the back door. Tifa's mind was swirling with a thousand questions.

"Knock her off her feet, Spikey!" Tifa could hear Barret's voice bellow from the hall. Tifa shot Cloud a questioning glance, but Cloud said nothing, briskly pulling Tifa outside and motioned for her to get on his motorbike. He handed her a pair of goggles similar to the ones he wore.

"What did Barret mean by that?" Tifa asked pointedly. Cloud simply shrugged and started the engine.

...

It took a couple of hours to get to Myrthil Mine from Edge, but Cloud had made the trip many times and knew the area like the back of his hand. He knew how to avoid the monsters that resided outside the city limits, and ever since the Lifestream had wreaked havoc on the Planet's surface, new pathways had been forged through the marshland that surrounded the ruins of Midgar and the new city of Edge. The pathways allowed them to cross over the marshland and avoid the massive 30 foot serpentine Midgar Zolom's that roamed the area.

Cloud felt his heart racing as he neared his destination. He had rehearsed what he would say to Tifa many times, but he couldn't help feeling that when the moment came, he would freeze up and the words wouldn't come out right. Words never came easy to him, especially when it came to Tifa. He shook his head clear, and tried to focus on the road.

Soon they exited Myrthil Mine and entered a wooded area. After weaving through the dense trees some distance, Cloud pulled the bike over to a small cliff that overlooked a crystalline lake, and shut the motor off.

"We're here." Cloud said, gesturing at a waterfall that was tumbling down the steep hillside.

...

Tifa stared wide eyed at the breathtaking view. "This place is beautiful!" She gasped. "How did you find it?"

Cloud pulled off his goggles and walked towards the edge if the cliff. "Nanaki showed me this place awhile back. I... I actually planned this trip awhile ago. Sorry it took so long." He said quietly.

Tifa gave him warm smile. "You know, we haven't spent time alone like this since before Meteorfall."

"I know. I'm sorry, Tifa. I'll make it up to you." Cloud said apologetically.

"You don't have to apologize, Cloud. You've been through a lot. These past couple of years haven't been easy." Tifa said.

Cloud turned his back to her so he could reach into his pocket and pull out the box he had been guarding so fiercely. He took a deep breath before he began to speak. "Tifa... I never really properly said thank you for everything you've done for me. You stayed by my side in Mideel when I had Mako poisoning, you helped me recover my memories and pulled me out of darkness."

Tifa stared at him intently, he still had his back to her, so it was impossible for her to see his face. What was he trying to say?

"You have been one of my closest friends, and nobody really understands me the way you do." Cloud continued, finally turning to face Tifa. "It's taken me awhile to get my act together, but I finally have my head on straight, and I'm seeing things clearly now. You are the one I want to spend the rest of my life with."

Tifa felt her heart begin to pound faster. "Cloud... I" she felt her words catch in her throat.

"That's why I'm asking you this..." Cloud said getting down on one knee in front of her and opening the box, revealing the beautiful diamond ring. "Tifa Lockheart... Will you marry me?

Tifa sat in stunned silence. She felt as if a feather could have knocked her over in that moment. He had caught her completely off guard with this. She brought her hands up to her mouth and felt tears well up in her eyes. She felt like any moment she would wake up and this would all be a dream. She had wished this day would come, but had told herself it would never happen. Just a few short days ago, she had almost convinced herself he didn't love her anymore, but now here he was proposing.

Tifa saw Cloud looking at her expectantly. "Yes! Yes, of course I will!" She said finally coming to her senses. She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly. She felt him let out a long breath as if he were breathing a sigh of relief. Did he really think there was a chance she would say no? Then Tifa remembered how angry she had been with him when he had disappeared for several months... Suddenly the realization hit her. The ring he had shown her must have cost a small fortune. A twinge of guilt hit Tifa. That must have been what he was trying to get while he was away.

"I love you, Tifa." Cloud said, wrapping his arms around her tightly. "I'm sorry if I ever made you feel otherwise." Tifa felt a little light headed, and kept wondering if she was dreaming. "I love you too." She said in a shaky voice.

The two of them sat in silence for a long time as the wind blew through the trees. The only sound that could be heard was the rustling leaves and the pounding of the waterfall.


	3. Future and Past

Nanaki lowered his nose to the ground, breathing in the many scents. "They must have moved." He said to Vincent, who shook his head with disappointment.

"Did they have children with them?" Vincent asked pointedly. Nanaki nodded sadly. "Yes... and I am afraid I lost the scent trail. They are being tremendously careful."

Yuffie crossed her arms. "Well we can't give up! Maybe we should contact Reeve? The W.R.O. should be able to help us!" Before anyone could object, she whipped out her phone and dialed Reeve's number. "Reeve! There you are! Hey listen, have you heard about masses of missing children?"

...

It was well after midnight when Barret saw the bright headlights of Cloud's motorbike shine through the window. Barret had already sent Marlene and Denzel to bed a few hours ago, even though they begged to stay up until Cloud and Tifa returned.

"So they're back now, eh?" Cid's voice came from Barret's phone. Barret had decided to call Cid and let him in on what was happening.

"Yeah, they just pulled in. I'd better let ya go." Barret hung up and headed to the back door as Cloud and Tifa entered. They should have been exhausted from their trip, but their eyes were shining and they both seemed to be on another planet.

"Well there you are. It's about time, Spiky!" Barret laughed, "I was about to send Search and Rescue after your ass!"

"Sorry Barret. I guess we must have lost track of time." Tifa said, turning and sharing a secret smile with Cloud. "Thanks for watching over the kids, Barret." Cloud added.

"Anytime, Spiky." Barret patted Cloud on the back. "So Tifa, ya gonna show me the bling?" Barret smirked and looked expectantly at her.

Tifa's face flushed pink. "You knew?" Barret let out a chuckle and nodded. "Heh heh, yup. Cloud told me everything."

Tifa ducked her head shyly, and held out her hand to show Barret. Barret whistled admiringly. "Damn! That's a fine rock! Not bad, Spiky! Well, congrats, you two." He said, pulling both Tifa and Cloud into a massive bear hug. "Now if you don't mind, I'm gonna turn in for the night."

Thanks again, Barret." Tifa said, giving him a grateful smile. With that, they headed down the hallway.

Tifa headed for her bed when Cloud reached out a hand to stop her. "I uh... was hoping you would spend the night... with me." He said, a bit nervously.

Tifa felt her face flush once again, but this time instead of shying away, she leaned in and pressed her lips firmly to his and pushed him down on the bed. Cloud pulled her close, breathing in her scent and kissing her passionately. His mind went back to the night before Meteorfall. He had sent all his friends away and told them not to return unless they had a reason to fight. Barret, Cid, Nanaki, Yuffie, Cait Sith and Vincent had all left. Cloud and Tifa had spent what they believed was their last night together. Cloud remembered that night vividly as if it were just yesterday. He remembered how stunned he had been to hear Tifa confess her feelings for him. He had faltered in expressing his own feelings in words, but instead showed her in...other ways. They had shared a night of tender passion before everything devolved into chaos. That had been almost 4 years ago. Much had happened since that night. The both of them had many inner demons to battle,but now finally, they could be together without the guilt... without the darkness that threatened to destroy them and their happiness.

Cloud regretted that he had let so much time pass before he finally showed her how he felt... How he had always felt about her. He had loved her since childhood. He had tried to join SOLDIER in a desperate attempt to impress her. When he returned to Nibelhiem, 9 years ago as an infantryman, having failed to make the cut as a SOLDIER, he was so ashamed that he hid his identity, refusing to remove his helmet. He had wanted so much to talk to Tifa, she was as beautiful as he remembered, but he couldn't let her see him like that. He protected her anyway, even though he didn't show her who he was, even though he wasn't a SOLDIER. He had kept his promise and came to her aid, just as he said he would at the well, under the starlit sky.

Cloud gazed at Tifa who had fallen asleep, he held her close and let her soft breathing lull him to sleep.

...

Elena walked along the dark streets of Kalm. The small town was quiet... too quiet for Elena. She felt exposed in such a tight knit community. She could feel the eyes of suspicious townsfolk peering at her from behind curtains. Elena tried to avoid eye contact with the townsfolk as she slipped into the local Inn. Tseng was interrogating the inn keeper and holding a photo in front of him.

"This was the last place the boy was seen." Tseng said sharply. "You know something, you must!" Elena flinched a bit. She knew by his tone that Tseng was about to lose his patience, and he wasn't the type of man you wanted to anger.

The inn keeper seemed to understand the jeopardy he was in because he raised his hands defensively. "Look! I only saw the kid once! He was here one night with a strange looking blonde woman and then they left. They didn't say anything to me! I swear!"

Tseng leaned forward, narrowing his eyes at the inn keeper. "Describe the woman." He demanded.

"S-she was dressed all in red, and she was super rude. She looked like she was in her mid thirties." The inn keeper studdered.

Tseng furrowed his brow then handed the inn keeper a card. "If you see that woman again, I want to be the first to know. Call this number if you remember ANYTHING else" Tseng turned and faced his colleague and motioned for her to follow him. "Come, Elena. This is another dead end. We need to touch bases with Reno and Rude. Hopefully they have had more luck than us."

Elena nodded and followed Tseng out of the inn. She was relieved to be leaving Kalm, but frustrated to have come up empty handed yet again. All this failure was not good for moral, especially since moral was low for the Turks already. Their numbers were few, after Meteorfall, and the Geostigma epidemic had lowered their numbers even more.

They needed a lucky break. They needed one soon, because as they searched for the missing children, more were being snatched up.

...

Reeve entered Cid Highwind's airship. "Hey Reeve, it's good to see you." Cid greeted as he put an unlit cigarette in his mouth. "So what do you think is up with all these missing kids."

Reeve sighed and a sad expression came across his face. "It's not good. We found a few children near Bone Village. They were dead... They had been exposed to extreme levels of Mako. Levels that not even members of SOLDIER are exposed to. We are dealing with some sick bastards."

Cid scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm... Almost sounds like Hojo... but he's dead isn't he? Vincent took care of him."

Reeve shrugged in defeat. "With Hojo, you never know. He implanted himself with Jenova cells. To be quite frank with you, it wouldn't surprise me in the least if he found a way to cheat death yet again."

Cid peered through the windshield and nodded to his crew. "Lower the airship. I see Vincent and Yuffie."

"Aye, aye. Captain." The crew members responded. Reeve could see Nanaki, Yuffie and Vincent waiting on the ground below as the airship began it's descent.

...

Nanaki padded up the gangplank as soon as it was lowered. Yuffie looked nauseous already. It was no secret that she hated flying. Both her and Cloud suffered from motion sickness, so rides in the airship were tumultuous for the both of them.

Nanaki bounded over to Cid and Reeve and dipped his head in greeting. "It's good to see the both of you again. I wish it were under better circumstances."

Reeve nodded grimly. "I feel the same, Red." Reeve then turned to Vincent. "So... I hear you may have a lead for me?"

Vincent shook his head. "No... Unfortunately not. I had spotted some shady characters hanging around the Wutai area, but I think they got nervous that they were about to be discovered."

Yuffie frowned. "They must have skipped town when you came to Edge to find me."

"You don't think Shinra is involved do you?" Vincent asked, turning to Reeve. "No. My agents have seen the Turks going around interrogating people in the towns where the children went missing. It seems to me like they are searching too."

Yuffie crossed her arms. "I still don't trust them." Nanaki nodded in agreement. "Neither do I. We should keep an eye on them as well."

Reeve continued. "There is something else. When I went to Kalm, an inn keeper there told me he saw a blonde woman dressed in red with one of the missing children. If she has an obnoxious laugh... then I know exactly who she is."

Vincent, Yuffie and Cid all exchanged looks. "Scarlet!" They said in unison.

...

Rufus Shinra sat behind his fathers desk and stared blankly at the paperwork in front of him. What was it all for? The company was in ruins, his family's name was a curse among the people, and now he had a target on his back from former employees.

It seemed no matter what he did now, nothing would change his fate. Maybe his father had been right all along. He was a failure. Rufus let out a mirthless chuckle, as he thought of his father. What would he think of what had become of his legacy?

In truth, his father had been the cause of his own destruction. He had been cut down by Sephiroth... created by one of his own scientists and trained as a Shinra SOLDIER. If only he had reigned in Hojo, perhaps things wouldn't be as they were now.

Rufus was deep in thought when he heard a knock on his door. "Mr. President. Permission to enter, Sir." A young woman asked. "Yes, yes. Come in." Rufus replied.

"The test results are in, Sir." The woman in a white lab coat continued. She approached his desk and laid a file in front if him.

Rufus sat up, and flipped through the pages. As he looked at the DNA results in front of him, he couldn't help but laugh. Could his life get any crazier?

"Are you alright, Sir?" The woman asked. "Never better, Eva. Never better." Rufus continued to laugh.

"Just wait until I show Cloud this. You think he hates me now? Ha ha ha ha!"

...

Cloud felt like the days were flying by. Barret had left two weeks ago, but it felt like it had only been just yesterday. Cloud looked at Tifa, who was busying herself with customers. How could she be so calm? He felt like his legs would give out from under him every time he got close to her.

He hadn't even begun to plan for the wedding yet, and he felt like time was getting away from him.

He felt a hand grip his shoulder, pulling him away from his thoughts. "Hey." Tifa said peering at him with concern. "Are you alright. You look upset."

Cloud rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah... yeah I'm fine. I'm just thinking. Everything is changing and I'm just trying to keep up with it all."

Tifa looked at him sympathetically. "We will just take everything one step at a time. I know this is a big step we are taking, so there's no need to worry. We are in this together."

Cloud nodded slowly. "Yeah... You're right. I just don't know how you do it, Tifa. How do you balance so many things in your life an keep a cool head."

"I'm a good multi-tasker." She said with a wink. With that she rushed back to the counter and dealt with the new customers that had lined up.

Cloud watched her with admiration. The way she was able to function under extreme pressure never ceased to amaze him. He realized with some guilt, that a large portion of stress that she had experienced in her life as of late, was caused by him. Yet no matter how difficult things got, he always knew she would be there beside him, supporting him. He just hoped he could do the same for her.

...

Denzel made his way to Johnny's Heaven. It was a small outdoor cafe in downtown Edge. The cafe wasn't nearly as nice as the Seventh Heaven, but it was nice to have a change of scenery every once in awhile.

Denzel sat down at his usual spot by the water fountain and waited. Johnny rushed over with a bright smile. "Denzel! Long time no see! You haven't been over here in a while."

"Yeah, Cloud came back, so I have been over at Tifa's." Denzel said without thinking. Denzel flinched as he saw Johnny's expression darken. "Oh... So he's back is he?" Johnny said.

Denzel nodded. "Yeah he came back a few weeks ago. I guess he and Tifa are getting married now."

"WHAT?!" Johnny exclaimed. His shock gave way to anger. "I can't believe it. I just can't believe it. After all the pain he's caused her, she still stays with him?" Johnny clenched his fist. "I should have put Cloud in his place back in Midgar."

Denzel stood up. "Hey! Cloud is my friend!" Denzel glared at Johnny. Johnny sighed and relaxed his hand. "I... I know. I'm sorry Denzel. I'm just upset is all. I meant no disrespect to you."

Denzel nodded but still felt angry. "Just get me a root beer float and I'll be on my way." He said curtly. Johnny gave him a worried glance. "Hey... We are still friends right?"

Denzel nodded again. "Yeah... Just don't talk bad about Cloud and we'll be fine. He's the closest thing I have to a father. He and Tifa are my family. I'll protect them with my life."

...

Reno strolled down the beach of Junon. He and his partner Rude had split up and were interrogating people in the town. Two little girls had disappeared from Junon, and they needed answers.

Reno saw a young girl in a swimsuit playing with a Dolphin in the bay. "Hey kid, you got a minute?"

The girl shot him a reproachful look. "You're a Turk aren't you? I don't want to talk to you." Reno crossed his arms. "Look, there's lots of children your age disappearing. I'm trying to stop it. Are you going to help me or not?"

The girl looked thoughtful for a moment. "Are you looking for Yaz and Lizzy?"

Reno perked up. "Yeah! You know them? When was the last time you saw them? Did you see anyone shady with them?"

The girl held up her hands. "Whoa! Whoa! Hold on! One question at a time!" The girl then took a deep breath. "I didn't know them well. I spend most of my time with Mr. Dolphin, but I had seen them around town occasionally. The last time I saw them, they said they were going to the harbor to meet someone. They never came back."

Reno frowned. "The harbor, huh? Alright. Thanks, kid. Here take this card. If you remember anything else, you let us know." Reno turned on his heel and ran in the direction of the harbor.

...

The rising sun shone brightly on the ocean's waves, promising yet another beautiful day. Costa del Sol was a common place for weddings and today was no exception. Yuffie stood in front of the ornate mirror and adjusted the flower garland on her head. It had been several months since Cloud and Tifa had gotten engaged, but it seemed like the time had flown by. Yuffie had spent that time hunting down lead after lead in the missing children's case for Reeve. Time and time again, she was met with dead end after dead end. After so much failure, it was becoming a bit depressing. She welcomed the break. She was relieved to receive the invitation to Cloud and Tifa's wedding.

"Yuffie, stop tugging on those flowers, it looks fine." Shera scolded her. Yuffie let out an exasperated sigh. "I look silly." She pouted.

"I think you look great." Tifa's voice came from around the corner. "Thanks for being my maid of honor. I know this isn't exactly your thing..." She continued as she walked out of the dressing room in her wedding gown.

Yuffie's mouth fell open. "Whoa! You look amazing!" She said in awe. Shera nodded in agreement. "Cloud is a lucky man."

Tifa's face flushed and she ducked her head slightly. "Thanks..." She said in a quiet voice. "This is all so surreal..."

Shera walked over and and gave Tifa a gentle smile. "Everything will be fine. I know you must be nervous but try not to worry too much."

Tifa nodded, but there was a sadness in her eyes. "What is it?" Shera asked. Tifa let out a sigh. "It's just... It's moments like this I wish my mother were alive to see. She should be here. So should my father... but they can't."

Shera gave her a hug. "I'm sure if they were here, they would be proud of you." Tifa nodded and smiled a bit. "Thank you, Shera." Tifa continued. "You have been a good friend, and you too, Yuffie... That is, when you aren't stealing my stuff." She said with a wink.

Yuffie put her hands on her hips. "Hey! I gave it all back didn't I? You are never going to let me forget that are you?" Tifa shook her head. "Nope, I'm going to remind you of that until you are old and grey." She laughed.

Yuffie and Shera gave her a little wave and headed out to the main hallway. Tifa watched them and a felt a small wave of sadness come over her again. She faced the mirror and bowed her head as her thoughts trailed away. "You should be here..." Tifa thought sadly.

"Dilly dally, shilly shally." A soft familiar voice said in her head. "You told Cloud to stop dwelling on the past, maybe it's time you did too."

Tifa's head shot up and she returned her gaze to the mirror and gasped as she saw a face she never thought she would see again looking back at her. A girl with auburn hair and green eyes smiled warmly back at her.

Tifa spun around to look behind her and gasped again as the room she had been standing in was gone, replaced by an ethereal flower garden. The young woman stood I front of Tifa in her usual pink flowing dress.

"Aerith..." Tifa said in a hushed tone, her brown eyes wide with shock.

Aerith gave a light laugh and approached her. "You look beautiful, Tifa, but you would look even more beautiful if you didn't have that sad look."

"..." Tifa bowed her head and said nothing, staring at the flower covered ground."

Aerith placed a hand under Tifa's chin and lifted it to look her in the eye. "This is your special day. I won't have you being sad. You and Cloud have been through too much, let yourself be happy."

"It should be you." Tifa finally said with a shake of her head. "I'm only here because you died."

Aerith frowned and placed her hands on her hips disapprovingly. "How can you say a thing like that? You know as well as I do, how much Cloud loves you. At least you should by now."

Tifa bit her bottom lip, a fretful expression crossed her face. "But what if I'm not enough... What if I can't make him happy? You had a way with him that I just don't know if I can do."

Aerith smiled at her again, taking Tifa's hands in hers. "That's because you second guess yourself too much. You haven't seen things from my point of view. Cloud is better when he's with you. You understand him in a way no one else does, or could ever. A way I could never..." Aerith said quietly. "That's why you needed to be the one to fix him. I was there in the Lifestream when you and Cloud fell in. I wanted to be the one, Tifa... But I couldn't do it. It had to be you. When I saw the memories there, and just how much you are a part of him, I knew you would live together for the rest of your lives. I admit I was a bit jealous but I wouldn't trust Cloud to anyone but you, Tifa."

"You... saw that?" Tifa said, eyes widening in surprise.

"Yes. You have always put Cloud's happiness and well being over your own. That's why he needs you. It was nice having a bodyguard, but Cloud needs protecting too. He needs someone strong, to be a pillar for him when he's too weak to stand on his own. No one but you can do that for him. As flattered as I am that Cloud cared that much about me, I was never going to replace you. No matter how hard I pulled, he could never let go of you." Aerith said with a bit of a chuckle. "He loves you, Tifa. I want him to be happy, and I know he found happiness with you."

Tifa felt tears slipping down her face as Aerith spoke, bowing her head once more.

"You are the closest thing I've ever had to a sister." Aerith continued. "You don't have to be afraid of moving on. I want happiness for you too."

A small smile came to Tifa's face. "You are like a sister to me too."

Aerith gave her one last smile. "Go to him."

When Tifa opened her eyes, she was back in the dressing room standing in front of the mirror. A feeling a of peace came over her troubled heart. "Thank you, Aerith." She said quietly.

...

Meanwhile outside, Cloud paced back and forth. Barret watched and shook his head. "Damn it, Spiky! Stop that pacing!" Barret tugged at his tie. "This damned thing is choking me."

"They should be here by now." Cloud fretted, rubbing his forehead. "They'll get here. Reeve said he'd be a bit late." Nanaki said, padding up to the men. Nanaki was wearing a large head dress, with rows of ornate feathers and beads on either side of his head.

"That's quite the impressive headdress there, Red." Cid remarked, gesturing at Nanaki. "Thank you." Nanaki responded. "It was my father's. It's a ceremonial headdress. It only gets worn on special occasions."

Just then a tall thin man in a sharp suit, with a red tie, and red lapels strolled over. "Sorry I'm late." The man muttered in a deep voice.

"Whoa! What the hell?!" Barret stared wide eyed at the man, even Cloud looked taken aback. "Vincent?!"

Cid raised an eyebrow. "Who the hell are you and what have you done with the vampire?"

"It's just a haircut, Cid." He shook his head. Indeed Vincent's long raven tresses had been cut short. He resembled how he had looked during his days as a Turk. "I figured I should clean myself up a bit. I'm the best man after all."

Cid crossed his arms and grumbled. "Yeah, rub it in. I can't believe you picked the damned vampire to be best man, Cloud." Cloud shrugged awkwardly. "I can't pick all of you... "

"Who are all these sharply dressed people? I don't recognize any of you. I must have the wrong venue." Reeve said with amusement as he sauntered over to the group.

"Reeve! It's about damn time!" Barret said running over to him. "I guess that means everyone is here." Cloud said, letting out a breath of relief. Barret nodded "See? I told you, you didn't have anything to worry about."

...

Tifa stood nervously in the hallway. She looked over at Marlene who seemed to be thoroughly enjoying being the flower girl. Suddenly Barret walked in from outside. The wedding was being held on the beach. Barret approached Tifa and extended his remaining hand to her.

"Look... uh, Tifa. I know I'm not your father and all, but I was wondering.." He started to say, but his words trailed off. Tifa looked at him expectantly. He cleared his throat and started again. "I was just gonna say, I would be honored if you allowed me to walk you down the isle."

Tifa gave him a warm smile. "Thank you, Barret. I'd like that very much."

True she would have loved it her parents could be there. She missed them both terribly, especially her father who had died tragically at the hands of Sephiroth, but with her friends she would never be alone. They helped fill the void in her heart. They were her family now.

...

Reno sat with his arms crossed in the back row of seats as the wedding commenced. He turned to Rude, "Why are we here, partner? We're going to get in trouble if they spot us. We weren't exactly invited."

Rude lowered his head a bit. "I just... wanted to see her." He commented quietly. Reno shook his head. "You're just torturing yourself at this point." Rude pulled out a sealed packet. "I have something to give them." He said flatly. Reno raised a brow. "You are going to give them that now?" Rude nodded and adjusted his shades. "I might as well."

...

Cloud stood nervously under the archway. Elder Hargo of Cosmo Canyon had agreed to perform the ceremony. Cloud couldn't help but feel some amusement at how uncomfortable some of his friends were at being dressed up. Cid kept tugging at his tie as if it were a snake trying to choke him, and Yuffie's flowers were starting to make her allergies act up.

He gazed down the aisle as Marlene made her way up, scattering flower petals as she went. Cloud felt an odd mixture of joy and anxiety as Tifa followed behind, hanging onto Barret's arm. She looked so beautiful, she had a calm peaceful expression on her face. He wished he could be as calm as her. He felt as though his heart would burst through his chest, and his legs would give out from under him.

"Steady, boy." Cid placed a hand on his shoulder. Cid raised a brow as an amused smirk spread across his face. "You good?"

Cloud nodded silently. He straightened his pose as Tifa stood beside him. As he glanced over at her, her calm demeanor had faded somewhat. Perhaps she was nervous too. He smiled at her, it didn't matter now. They had made it this far. Nothing was too much for them to face together.

...

Johnny watched the happy couple from afar, with a mixture of emotions. He felt sadness for letting Tifa slip through his fingers, anger at himself for not making the right move at the right time, and jealousy of the blonde man standing next to her. What made him so great anyway?

Johnny wasn't the type to wedding crash... but he just couldn't stay away. He half wondered if he should charge down the aisle and beg Tifa to reconsider... but no. She would never forgive such an act. All he could do now was watch. He allowed his gaze to wander over the crowd that had gathered. There were people from all over Gaia it seemed. There were people from Rocket Town, Wutai, Junon, Edge, Cosmo Canyon, he even spotted a couple of Turks slouched in the back row... or perhaps they hadn't been invited either and had snuck in anyway.

"I guess I'm not the only wedding crasher." He thought to himself.

...

After the ceremony, everyone had gone off to the party. Rude slipped in, gripping the folder in his hands. He made his way through the crowd trying to locate Tifa, as Reno followed behind.

"What are you doing here?" Cloud asked sharply as soon as he saw them. "I don't recall inviting any Turks."

Reno threw up his hands. "Hey, calm down. We aren't causing any trouble. My partner just has something to give you."

Rude handed over the package, "It's something I think you would want to have." He grunted, his expression almost unreadable behind his dark shades.

Cloud eyed the two Turks suspiciously as he took the package. "It's not going to blow up, is it?" He asked flatly. Reno laughed. "After everything we've been through together, you think we would blow up your wedding?"

Cloud and Tifa exchanged looks then replied in unison. "Yes."

Reno gave them a look of feigned hurt. "Well we aren't. If we were going to blow up this function, we would have done so already."

Cloud looked over the package in his hands. "So what is it?" He asked, the edge in his voice tapering off a bit. Rude crossed his arms. "Just open it. You'll see."

Cloud tore open the paper package and three envelopes fell to the table. One was labeled 'Tifa' another labeled 'Cloud' and the last was unlabeled. Cloud ripped open the envelope with his name on it and gasped as a pile of photographs scattered in front of him. Tifa had photos in hers as well. Cloud heard her gasp as she looked at them. "Cloud! These are pictures from Nibelhiem! There's pictures of my family here. I thought everything was lost in the fire..." Tifa sounded on the edge of tears as her fingers caressed a photo of her father.

Cloud turned his attention to the photos in front of him and saw a picture from his fifth birthday. He felt a lump in his throat as he gazed on the happy smile of his mother, a smile he thought he'd never see again. Cloud looked up from the photos to thank Rude, but the the Turk and his red headed partner were already gone.

Tifa looked over at Cloud and nodded at him, understanding what he was thinking. "You should go talk to him." She said.

Cloud took a deep breath and ran out of the venue. There was a bar not far down the road. Knowing the two Turks, that would be where they were. Sure enough, when Cloud entered the bar, there was Reno and Rude drinking at the counter. Cloud approached the counter and sat down next to Rude.

Reno leaned forward to peer at Cloud from Rude's other side. "I'll let you guys talk." He said with his usual smirk and left to go to the pool table. Cloud avoided making eye contact with Rude, staring at the empty shot glass in front of him. "I uh... wanted to say thanks."

Rude let out a mirthless chuckle. "That must have been hard to say." Rude lowered his shades to look at Cloud. "It's not just me you should thank though. True, Reno and I were the ones who found the photographs, but someone else kept them safe. Did you read the letter?"

Cloud lifted his head to stare at Rude. "Letter?" He questioned. Rude nodded. "There was an unmarked envelope, yes? Perhaps it is better for you to wait to read it. It may come as a shock to you. Maybe not the best thing to read on your wedding night."

Cloud frowned. "So why did you come? You could have brought me that package at any time. Why now?"

Rude sighed heavily. "You aren't the only one who cares about her, you know." He folded his hands together as he peered at Cloud. "I would do whatever it took to make her happy, but we both know that was never going to be me. I never stood a chance against you."

Cloud furrowed his brow trying to find something to say, but he came up empty. He only managed a nod. Rude continued, "I don't think you realize how lucky you are to have her. Just know this, Strife... If you ever do anything to hurt Tifa, I'll kill you myself." He said coldly as he slammed down his shot glass on top of the counter. Without so much as a backwards glance, he stood up and motioned at Reno.

Reno shrugged at Cloud and followed his partner out the door. "Catch ya later!" Reno said with a wave of his hand. Cloud stood up, feeling somewhat stunned. He hadn't realized how much Rude actually cared about Tifa. He had overheard a conversation between Reno and Rude in Gongaga years back, where Rude confessed he liked Tifa but he hadn't thought about it since. He figured it was just a passing fancy and Rude would move on to other things.

...

Cloud returned to the venue to find Barret and Cid having a drinking contest. "Hey! Spikey's back! Here try some of this!" Barret shoved a shot glass into Cloud's hand. "It'll put some hair on your chest!" Cid laughed. Cloud shook his head at the two men and took a sip only to spit it out. "Pffft! What the hell is that?!" Cloud sputtered. "Bwahah!" Barret burst out laughing. "Not so tough now, huh?!"

Tifa grabbed the glass, with a mischievous smirk on her face. "Here let me try it." She said. Cloud looked at her stunned, as she emptied the glass and didn't seen phased at all. "How- How did you do that?!" He stared at her wide eyed.

Tifa laughed. "I own a bar, Cloud. I can handle pretty much anything." Barret slapped Cloud on the back. "I guess we know who's going to wear the pants in this relationship." Tifa nodded and laughed. "That's right, and don't you forget it."

Reeve watched the group from afar. He was happy to be here celebrating with his friends, but at the back of his mind he couldn't help but continue to worry about the missing children. The thought of it hung like a heavy cloud over his head. He vowed he wouldn't give up until he had brought this evil to an end.

...

The indigo sky glittered with billions of stars. A cool breeze blew over the surface of the waves. Tifa leaned on the railing of the balcony outside the inn. "It's such a beautiful view." She said in a hushed voice, taking in the night.

"So beautiful." Cloud agreed as he joined her on the balcony. Tifa turned to look at him and noticed he wasn't looking at the ocean but looking right at her. "This reminds me of the night at the well." Tifa said, recalling the night when she and Cloud had been children in Nibelhiem, making promises for the future.

Cloud reached out his hand to caress face. "I made a promise to you then, now I have a new promise for you." He said quietly. He pulled her close to him allowing himself to enjoy the serenity of the moment.

...

The following morning, Cid Highwind stumbled down the stairs to the dinning area of the inn. He had a pounding headache and one look at Barret showed he wasn't the only one. "I got a hellava hangover, brotha." Barret grumbled.

"What's the point of going to a wedding if you don't get hammered?" Cid laughed, but cringed as Yuffie scrapped her chair across the floor. "Gah! Don't do that!" Cid groaned as he clapped his hands over his ears.

Yuffie laughed and did it again. "Awe... Did you party a little too hard last night? Poor baby." She said mockingly. Cid crossed his arms. "I wouldn't do that if I were you. Remember, you have to ride the airship to get back home. I'll make the ride worst for you if you don't watch it!"

Yuffie crossed her arms and clamped her mouth shut. Vincent couldn't help but laugh. "Well, I think Cid wins this round." He chuckled.

"Oh you, shush!" She said, giving Vincent a shove. "You are supposed to be on my side!"

"So the lovebirds still sleeping? It's almost 11 o' clock!" Barret said shaking his head. "Has anyone seen Reeve? I haven't seen him all morning."

Nanaki padded over to the group. "Reeve left early this morning. He said he had a lot of work to do."

Vincent leaned back in his chair, a thoughtful expression on his face. He looked over at Marlene and Denzel. "Perhaps he wants to continue looking for the missing children. He did seem a bit distracted last night. He's the head of the W.R.O. He's got a lot on his plate."

"We missed Reeve? That's too bad." Tifa said as she came down the stairs, with Cloud close behind.

"Well it's about damn time you two get up. I was getting déjà vu over here." Barret snarked. Cid nodded in agreement. "Yeah, like that time we watched you kids foolin' around under the Highwind when ya thought you were alone."

Tifa flushed pink. "I still can't believe you guys spied on us! We thought you were gone!"

Yuffie perked up. "Wait, what happened? Did I miss something?" She asked with a raised brow. Cloud and Tifa shot fierce glares at Cid and Barret "NOTHING." Cloud said sharply.

Barret simply laughed. "Nothing, Yuffie. It's nothing."


	4. Tempest

Denzel stared at the unopened envelope sitting on Cloud's desk. They had returned home a few days ago, but Cloud still had not opened it. Denzel carefully looked through the pile of photographs that were stacked next to it. They were photos of Cloud when he was a young boy, and a woman who was clearly his mother. Denzel was surprised to see what a backwater town Cloud had grown up in. Denzel himself had grown up on the upper plate of Midgar, his father had worked for Shinra. He hadn't known hardship until his parents had died. Things had gotten worse when the Lifestream had erupted across the Planet's surface to counter Meteor. He lost everything including his health after that. He had contracted the deadly Geostigma. That's when he met Cloud.

"Do you think I should open that envelope?" Cloud said as he approached the desk, catching Denzel by surprise.

"S- sorry Cloud. I... didn't mean to snoop." Denzel said apologetically. Cloud gave him a small smile. "It's alright. No harm done." Cloud grabbed the envelope and sat down at the desk, ripping it open and staring intently at the letter that was inside. As he read the letter, his expression went from neutral to one of confusion, then of anger.

"This is complete bullshit!" Cloud erupted then stormed out of the room, letter in hand.

Denzel sat stunned as Cloud left the room enraged. What could have been written in that letter to make him so angry?

...

Tifa had heard Cloud's outburst and ran down the hall to see what was wrong. "What is it? What's going on?"

Cloud handed her the letter. "Read this! This is sick! What the hell is Rufus playing at here?!" Tifa took the letter it read:

"Cloud, I hope this letter finds you in good health. I know you and I haven't ever been on good terms with each other but I'm sending this letter because I think you should learn the truth. The truth about your father. As an act of good will, I had my Turks recover some of the photographs that survived the Nibelhiem fire. We found some of Tifa's old photos as well. Attached to the back of this letter are the DNA results proving what I'm about to reveal to you. You and I are half -brothers. That means my father, the late President Shinra was your father."

Tifa frowned as she looked at the letter but remained silent. She now understood why Cloud had been so upset.

"It's a lie! It's a damn lie!" Cloud fumed. "How dare he insult my mother like that! She would NEVER sleep with that pig, Shinra! I'm going to pay Rufus a visit. I gotta settle this!" Cloud took a deep breath to calm himself and looked at Tifa. "What do you think? You haven't said a word."

Tifa bit her bottom lip and she looked a bit uncomfortable. "Are you sure you want to know what I think? It may not be what you want to hear." Cloud furrowed his brow but nodded. "Yeah. Tell me." Tifa avoided looking him in the eyes. "If you want to know the truth, you and Rufus do kinda look alike..."

Cloud visibly flinched at her words. Tifa gave him a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry... I know it's not what you wanted to hear." She said quietly.

Cloud shook his head. "Don't be sorry. I asked you for the truth. It's just not easy for me to hear. I just..." Cloud's words trailed off as a wave of intense sadness came over him. "That means my mother lied to me. My whole life. I... I don't even know what to think anymore. She's not alive for me to ask her either."

Tifa wrapped an arm around his shoulder and hugged him tightly. " I'm sure she did what she thought was best for you. I didn't know your mother well, but I know she loved you a lot."

Cloud stood up, grasping the letter tightly in his fist. "I'm going to see Rufus. I'm going to find out why he sent this to me. There must be a reason." Before Tifa could protest, Cloud rushed out of the room and headed to the parking lot and got on his motorcycle. Tifa watched with concern as he sped away. She hoped he wouldn't do something rash.

...

Rufus Shinra sat behind his father's desk as he looked down on the city of Edge from the new Shinra building. The city had doubled in size since the Geostigma epidemic had been resolved. It seemed like the people had a renewed feeling of hope, and a new sense of purpose. Rufus wondered if he would ever feel that way.

"Halt! You can't just barge in here!" Rufus heard one of his security guards yell from outside his door. A man's voice shouted back. "Get out of my way!" Rufus recognized the voice of the man instantly. He smirked to himself. "Let him in, Rodrick. He's family." Rufus called to the guard.

Rufus folded his hands and sat calmly as the door to his office swung open revealing the angry man with stiff blonde spikes for hair. "You BASTARD." Cloud fumed as he glared at the smug President of Shinra.

"On the contrary, Cloud. From what I've learned, it appears you are the bastard." Rufus replied snidely.

"Shut up! Just shut up!" Cloud erupted. "Why did you send that damn letter? What are you trying to do? Everything was going fine! Why?!"

Rufus's smirk disappeared. "I felt you needed to know the truth." He replied simply. "I figured I owed you that much after everything we have been through."

Cloud shook his head. "I don't believe you. You're full of shit."

Rufus shrugged. "You don't have to believe me, just your own eyes. Besides, something tells me that the reason you are so angry, is because you know it's true." Rufus stood from his desk and walked over to the window. "Think about it, Cloud. Everything about your childhood that didn't make sense. Your mother told you your father "died in a mako reactor accident" correct? Let me guess... You've never actually seen any photos of him? Didn't you find that strange."

Cloud said nothing. He stared at the floor in anguish as he thought of his mother. She struggled to support the two of them. Nibelhiem was a backwater town and it was hard enough to make ends meet, even worst for a single mother.

"Didn't you ever wonder why you never made the cut as a SOLDIER?" Rufus continued.

"Obviously because I wasn't strong enough." Cloud mumbled.

"Bullshit." Rufus shot back. "That's bullshit and you know it. Of course you were strong enough. You were only an Infantryman and during the Nibelhiem incident you took down Sephiroth, AFTER he had already defeated your SOLDIER friend Zack. Rufus turned to face Cloud once more. "No, you were held back because father couldn't allow an illegitimate son to advance up the ranks and make First Class. That kind of publicity would do damage to his image and he couldn't have that. He made some calls and had you purposefully held back. You never stood a chance."

Cloud stood there silently as everything he thought he knew about himself was once again, torn down. He wanted to believe it was all a lie, but it made too much sense, and it infuriated him. "What do you want?" Cloud finally asked.

Rufus shrugged. "I don't have a family. My father's other children are all the family I have now. None of the others want anything to do with me. I was hoping things would be different with you, but there appears to be too much bad blood between us."

Cloud frowned. "I already have a family. I may not be related to them by blood, but they are all the family I need." Cloud turned his back to Rufus and headed for the door. "If you want a brother, find someone else. I'm not interested."

...

A celebration was taking place on board the "Shera" Cid's airship, that he named after his faithful companion. It was a happy occasion. Barret had discovered an abundance of oil in Corel. Now the once dying town had a chance to grow and prosper, and there was more fuel for the people. A precious commodity that was in high demand since Mako was no longer being used.

"Things are finally looking up!" Barret said as he held up a wine glass. "Corel will be able to rebuild again!"

"That's great, Barret! This is the lucky break we needed." Shera said giving him a hug. Cloud nodded in agreement but his attention seemed divided. He kept glancing back at Tifa who was sitting by herself in the back. Cloud approached her, with a concerned expression on his face. "Hey, are you alright? You are being so quiet today."

Tifa nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just a little tired is all. I've been feeling a bit strange this week but it's not that bad." She said giving him a weak smile. Cloud frowned, unconvinced. "If you need to go home, we can leave."

Tifa shook her head. "I'm fine. I'll be over there in a minute. It's nothing to worry about." She motioned with her hand for him to rejoin their friends.

Cloud let out a resigned sigh. "Alright, but the minute you want to leave, come get me." He said as he walked back to the group. Nanaki watched from afar then flicked his ear and padded over to Tifa and sat next to her.

"So... You aren't going to tell him yet?" Nanaki asked. Tifa gave him a confused glance. "Tell him what?" Nanaki pressed again, "About your...condition." Tifa raised a brow, even more confused. "What condition? Nanaki, you aren't making any sense." Nanaki raised his head. "Ah... So you don't know, either?"

Tifa frowned, getting impatient. "Do I know about WHAT? It's nothing, Nanaki. I'm just feeling a bit under the weather. I'm FINE. It will pass."

Nanaki chuckled. "If course it will pass... in about 9 months. That's how long a human pregnancy lasts, does it not?"

Tifa whipped her head around to face Nanaki, her brown eyes wide with shock. "What did you say?! How... how could you possibly know that?"

Nanaki looked at her calmly. "Your scent has changed. I knew the moment you walked in." Nanaki flicked his ear awkwardly. "I suppose humans can't sense things like that, but I can."

Tifa sat stunned as she tried to take in what she has just heard. "This really changes things doesn't it." she murmured half to herself.

Nanaki stood and dipped his head. "Perhaps I should give you a moment alone. My apologies for dropping that on you. I sincerely thought you knew already."

Tifa sighed, "It's nothing to apologize for, Nanaki. I would have found out sooner or later. Thank you for telling me... I suppose now I will have to tell Cloud. I wonder how he will take it."

...

Cloud watched from across the room as Nanaki and Tifa spoke to each other. He couldn't make out what they were saying but something changed in Tifa's demeanor as the conversation progressed. She seemed shocked at one point. He wondered if he should go over and speak to her once again. He saw Nanaki leave Tifa and approach the group.

"Nanaki, what's going on?" Cloud asked as he approached. Nanaki simply shook his head. "You must talk to Tifa yourself. This is something she must tell you."

Cloud felt a surge of anxiety course through him. What was going on? He ran over to Tifa who was still sitting by herself, looking a bit dazed. "Tifa, what's going on? Tell me!" Cloud demanded.

Tifa gave him a look he couldn't quite read. "I'm pregnant... Nanaki just told me. That's why I've been feeling like this." She said.

Cloud felt like someone had stopped a two ton weight on his head. "Y-you what? Are you certain?" he stammered.

Tifa nodded. "Nanaki is sure of it." She furrowed her brow as she gauged his response. "You aren't happy about it?"

Cloud sat down next to her and took a deep breath. "No, of course I'm happy. I just need a minute to take it in is all. Heh... I guess I shouldn't be that surprised. We weren't exactly being careful." He turned to face her. "What about you? Are you happy about it? You seem worried."

Tifa bit her bottom lip. "I'm overjoyed, I'm just scared too. Nothing like this has happened to me before."

Cloud reached an arm around her and pulled her close. "Whatever happens, we will face it together." He said to her. "Everything will work out fine. This is a happy moment. Just leave all the worrying to me." He said with a light chuckle.

Tifa finally managed a smile. "Yeah. We will be fine." She said half to herself. "We should go tell the others." She said as she looked with affection at the group of friends she had grown to call family.

Cloud felt more anxiety well inside him as he thought of the children that were disappearing. The children of ex-SOLDIER's. He had the Mako treatments too, and Jenova cells. What effect would that have on his child? Would the child be healthy? If it was, would it be targeted? The thought terrified him, but he had to be strong for Tifa. He pushed the worries aside. For now, they would focus on the joy of raising a child of their own.

...

The months passed quickly, and before long, Tifa was ready to deliver the child. Luckily Cid was nearby to air lift her to the nearest hospital via his airship.

"Cid, hurry!" Tifa groaned, leaning against the wall. Cloud watched her with wide eyes, unsure of what to do.

"Don't have that kid on my airship! Just hold it in until we get there!" Cid yelled back. Tifa's eyes blazed with irritation. "Will somebody smack him for me?!"

Barret whacked Cid roughly over the back of his head. "Cid, didn't anyone tell you not to anger a pregnant woman?" Cid rubbed the back of his head. "It was just a joke, dammit!"

Tifa glared at him. "Do I look like I'm in the mood for jokes?!" She snapped. She whipped her head to look at Cloud. "This is all your fault. You did this to me." She grumbled.

Cloud couldn't help but laugh a little at that. "I know, I know. I'm sorry."

Tifa doubled over and let out a pained gasp. "Cid, if you don't want me to have this kid on your airship, you'd better step on it!"

...

Tseng sat in the lobby of the hospital. He had arrived as soon as he had received word that the Strife's child was about to be born. He knew he wouldn't be welcomed with open arms, but this child was President Rufus's kin. Cloud didn't have a choice in the matter. The Turks were going to keep an eye on this one. He pulled the newspaper he was pretending to read up to his face as he watched the strange collection of misfits that Cloud called his family wait in the lobby as well.

Tseng slipped away down the hall unnoticed. He needed to speak with the doctors. This child would not be normal. No child born with Jenova cells ever was. He needed to find out everything about the child as soon as he could.

...

Cid Highwind sat outside the hospital puffing on his cigarette. He hated sitting around and waiting, but Cloud and Tifa were his friends and this was important, so he sucked it up. He was surprised to see Cloud stumble outside to join him, looking dazed and anxious. His forehead was winkled with worry.

"Hey, can you spare one of those?" Cloud muttered haplessly, gesturing at Cid's cigarette. Cid raised a brow. "What? Since when do you smoke?" Cloud sat down next to him and buried his face in his hands. "Since right now..."

Cid shrugged, handing one over. "I think you are worrying too much, boy. Tifa will be fine, she's a strong woman. I've seen her lift monsters three times her size over her head. Give the girl some credit."

Cloud nodded. "I know. It's just, what the doctors are saying. They say the baby has unusually high levels of Mako in her system. We won't know how bad until she's born. What if the baby dies? They made me leave the room, and they won't tell me anything yet." He fretted. Cloud brought the lit cigarette to his mouth only to spit it out and cough roughly. "Bleh! How the hell can you stand these things, Cid?!" He tossed it away with disgust.

Cid only chuckled. "Boy, go back inside. I'm sure they will let you in to see her soon. Everything will be fine."

Cloud let out another sigh and nodded. "Yeah. Maybe I am worrying too much." He stood and walked back inside, giving Cid a wave.

...

It was approaching midnight when Barret felt a hand tap him on the shoulder. He had fallen asleep in the waiting room and his neck was stiff. He looked up to see Cloud beaming at him. "The baby has been born. The doctor says she's perfectly healthy. Do you want to see her?"

Barret rubbed his eyes. "Everything went well, huh? That's great, Spikey! Yeah let's go." Barret nudged the rest of the group awake and the they followed behind, eager to see the latest addition to the family.

When they entered the hospital room, Barret saw Tifa holding a tiny baby girl, bundled in a blanket close to her. Tifa looked exhausted but her eyes sparkled with a joy unlike he had ever seen from her before. Barret knew what that felt like. He felt that joy every time he held Marlene.

Cloud immediately went to her side, smiling proudly at the baby. All the worry had left his face.

Nanaki, Vincent, Cid, Yuffie, Marlene, Denzel and Barret all gathered around. Barret reached out to hold the baby. "Hey there, Squirt. Let uncle Barret have a look at ya" he said affectionately.

Cloud raised a brow and smirked. "Uncle Barret? Really now?" Barret gave Cloud a nod. "Yeah, Uncle Barret. You got a problem with that, Spikey?" He challenged.

Cloud simply chuckled and shook his head. Yuffie took a hold of the baby next. "Awe! She's so cute! Ya know... Maybe I don't need to steal your Materia after all." She said. "I'm gonna steal your baby instead!"

Tifa laughed. "I don't think so!"

Cloud nodded, "If you do, then you have to change her diapers." He chuckled as Yuffie looked at the baby and cringed. "Err... nevermind! I'll steal her when she's potty trained!"

Yuffie handed the baby over to Vincent. "Here! Why don't you hold her?" Vincent shook his head slightly. "I've never held a baby before." He said quietly. "Well there's a first time for everything. Just remember to support her neck." Yuffie said placing the baby in Vincent's hands.

Vincent stared down at the tiny human with amazement. He remembered his own failure to protect Lucrecia's baby. He made a silent vow then and there that he would never allow Hojo to harm this baby as he had with Sephiroth. Hojo would doubtless have interest in this child. Her eyes had the same glow that her father's did, signifying the high levels of Mako in her system.

The baby gazed at Vincent with interest and wrapped a tiny hand around his finger, gripping it tightly.

"Heh, would you look at that. The old vampire is coming to life." Cid remarked. Vincent hadn't realized it, but he was smiling.

The baby let out a tiny yawn and started to fuss. Vincent returned her to her mother, then addressed the group. "The baby is tired. We should let her rest." As they started to leave the room, Nanaki pressed his nose to the baby's head. "Welcome to the family, little one." He raised his head to look at Tifa. "What will you call her?"

"Her name is Tempest." Tifa said with a smile, gazing down at the small girl with glowing blue eyes.


	5. Turks

Seven years passed from that day. Denzel laid in bed, staring blankly at the ceiling. He wasn't asleep, but he didn't want to get up either, even though it was approaching 8 o' clock in the morning.

A light knock came on his door.

"Denzel?" A little girl's voice called from the other side. After a few moments with no reply, the knocking grew louder. "Denzel! Get up, lazy bones!" She called again, more urgently.

"Go away, you little pest!" Denzel pulled his pillow over his head. "I'm not coming out right now!" He grumbled. He heard a loud thud like someone kicked the door. "Fine, you jerk!" She said, stomping away.

Denzel knew he would probably get in trouble for not getting up, but who cared? Cloud and Tifa would be busy taking care of Tempest anyway. When would they have time to worry about him?

...

Tempest Strife ran through the dining area where her mother was already taking care of the morning costumers. "Hi mom! Dad's here today isn't he? Where is he?" She asked eagerly.

Tifa smiled at her energetic daughter. "Yes, he said he would take the day off for your birthday, remember? He's out in the garage."

"Thanks, mom!" Tempest shouted as she ran out the door. Tifa called out to her, "Hey! Eat your breakfast first! Tempest!" Tifa shook her head. Tempest was already out of earshot. "Oh never mind." She sighed.

Tempest ran into the garage where her father was working diligently on his motorbike. Tempest always loved it when her dad was home. Because of his delivery service, he often spent large amounts of time away from home. It would sometimes be weeks before he would return from a job.

"Can I help?" Tempest asked, peeking inside the open engine with bright eyes. Cloud ruffled her dark brown hair affectionately. "Sure, kiddo. You can shine the flashlight for me. Just point it down so I can see what I'm doing." Tempest eagerly gripped the flashlight. Any time she was allowed to help, it made her feel grown up. "So where is your brother? How come he isn't helping?" Cloud said, wiping sweat from his brow. Tempest's smile dropped and she shrugged dejectedly. "He's being a dumb teenager. He yelled at me when I asked him to get up." Cloud shook his head. "I guess I'm going to have to have a talk with him later."

Tempest went over to her father's work bench and was studying a photograph that was sitting in a picture frame. The photo was of Cloud when he was quite young, he looked about Denzel's age, and he was wearing a Shinra uniform. Next to him was another young man with black spiky hair, and a cross shaped scar on his cheek.

"Hey dad... who's this guy in the picture?" Tempest asked, staring at the photo with interest. A brief look of sadness came across Cloud's face. "That was my best friend, Zack Fair. We served in the Shinra Corps together." Tempest brightened a bit. "Can I meet him some time?"

Cloud shook his head. "No. He died... a long time ago." He said quietly. Tempest bowed her head. "Oh... I'm sorry." She said sadly. "I didn't know." Cloud patted his daughter on the head. "It's alright. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Tempest Aerith Strife! Get over here this instant and eat your breakfast!" Tifa's stern voice was heard from outside. Tempest groaned. "Awe... Do I have to?"

Cloud laughed and nudged her towards the door. "Yes. You'd better go before you get into anymore trouble. Your mom sounds angry." Tempest nodded, sighed and headed inside.

...

It was almost 10 o' clock and Tempest was eager to go outside. She would go to the large water fountain in the city square, almost every day. It was a popular hangout for the children of Edge. There was a small outdoor cafe near the fountain that Denzel would take her to at times, called "Johnny's Heaven." The red headed man that ran the cafe was very friendly.

Tempest was supposed to go with Denzel, as she was not allowed out of the house without someone with her, but Denzel had already left without her. Tempest snuck out the door when her mother's back was turned and headed down the busy street to the city square.

When she approached the water fountain, she found Denzel sitting with some of the other teens that hung out there. Tempest felt a pang of sadness. She remembered when Denzel would spend hours playing with her, but now it seemed he had better things to do.

Tempest went to the counter of Johnny's cafe and tapped on the bell. "One vanilla milkshake please!" She said placing some Gil on the counter. "Oh hey, Tempest. How's the birthday girl?" Johnny greeted with a warm smile.

The small girl, tipped her head to the side. "How did you know it was my birthday?" She asked. Johnny shrugged. "It's the same day as last year, right? I just have a good memory. Oh, here is your milkshake. It's on the house today." He said with a friendly nod. "By the way, how is your mother doing?"

Tempest gave him another curious glance. "She's alright, I suppose. How come you always ask about my mom?"

Johnny seemed flustered for a moment. "I don't ask that often do I?" Tempest scratched her head. "Uh, you kinda do. Every time I come here, you ask."

"Oh..." Johnny said, a bit embarrassed. "Well I suppose I ask because I was childhood friends with your mom. Her and I are both from Nibelhiem."

"Really? I didn't know that. Cool! You should come over and visit some time!" Tempest exclaimed. Johnny shook his head. "No, I don't think that would be a good idea. I don't think your father likes me very much."

Tempest frowned. "But you are nice! Why wouldn't he like you?"

Johnny simply sighed. "It's a long story, sweetie. It's okay though, I'm happy that you and Denzel come and visit me."

Tempest sat silently for awhile, sipping her drink tentatively. Why was it that the adults in her life always had secrets to keep from her. Her thoughts were interrupted when the large clock in the town square began to gong. It was noon! She was supposed to be back home by noon. Tempest whipped around to see if she could find Denzel, but he had left without her.

Tempest raced away from the town square and towards the street that lead back home when she ran right smack into a man in a sharp black suit. "Oops... Sorry, mister." Tempest muttered. "It's alright, kid. What's the big hurry anyway?" The man replied.

Tempest looked up to get a better look at the man and saw there were in fact two men in suits. One was bald wearing a pair of shades and the other, the one she had ran into, had bright red hair pulled into a ponytail and had a pair of goggles resting on his head.

"You're Tempest aren't you? We were actually looking for you." The red head continued. "We have a birthday present for you from your uncle." The bald one added, holding out a brightly wrapped package.

Tempest's face lit up as she reached for the package. "Which uncle was it?" She asked with a smile. The red headed man scratched his head. "What do you mean, which uncle?"

Tempest gave him a perplexed look. "I have a lot of uncles. Uncle Barret, Uncle Cid, Uncle Vincent, Uncle Reeve... You are going to have to be more specific."

The suited men exchanged glances and shrugged. "It's from your real uncle. Uncle Rufus." The bald man said simply. Tempest shook her head. "Hmm... Never heard of him. I think you must be mistaken, I don't have an uncle Rufus."

The red headed man chuckled. "Why am I not surprised, Cloud still hasn't told you about Rufus."

Tempest furrowed her brow as she studied the men in front of her. "Hey... are you guys...Turks?" She asked with arms crossed.

"You got us, kid. My name is Reno, and my partner here is Rude." The red head continued. "We aren't yanking your chain, you really do have an uncle Rufus. He'd like to meet you, but your dad is being stubborn about it."

Tempest stared hard at the package in her hands. "So you are saying President Doofus is my uncle?" She raised a brow at the Turks.

Reno couldn't help but chuckle. "What? You call him Doofus too. President Rufus is going to love that..." He shook his head. "You run along home now. The street is no place for a little girl."

Tempest shrugged and ran off in the direction of the Seventh Heaven. She was late and her mother was doubtless going to be upset with her.

...

"What where you thinking running off on your own?!" Tifa frowned sternly at her daughter. Tempest flinched a bit. "Denzel left without me, but I still wanted to go." Tempest said defensively, "I know how to get there. I didn't get lost or anything."

"And what is this I hear about you talking to the Turks? What have I told you about talking to strangers?" Cloud added, crossing his arms and giving a hard shake of his head. "You deliberately disobeyed us."

Tempest bowed her head and stared at the floor. She hated being scolded, it was even worse when her father was upset.

Cloud turned his scowl to Denzel. "And don't think you have gotten off the hook either. You are supposed to watch over her! You let her walk off by herself?! Don't you know how many little kids her age get snatched off the street?!" He said in a raised voice.

Denzel opened his mouth to retort but thought better of it when he saw the anger blazing in Cloud's eyes. "I'm sorry." He muttered half heartedly.

Cloud clenched his jaw. "I'm very disappointed in both of you. You can help your mother in the kitchen until I decide what to do about this." He turned and stomped off to his office.

Tifa raised a brow looked expectantly at Denzel and Tempest. "Well? You heard your father. Go to the kitchen. There are dishes to wash. Get it done." She said pointing at the large pile of dirty dishes in the sink.

...

Cloud sat staring at the expensive looking gift that Rufus had given his daughter. How dare he go behind his back! The gift was a beautiful little music box in the shape of a carousel, with gold plated chocobos. What was Rufus trying to do? Show him up?

"Do you think the Turks are keeping an eye on Tempest?" Tifa said as she entered the office. "It seems odd to me that they would know where she was."

Cloud scowled as he stared at the floor, deep in thought. "I don't know, but I had better not catch them near my daughter again. I don't need the likes of the Turks hanging around my family."

...

Denzel had finished his chores and was holed up in his room again. It seemed the only place where he could get time to himself. He missed the days when it was just him Marlene, Tifa and Cloud. It seemed that when Tempest was born, he wasn't much in focus anymore.

His thoughts were interrupted when he heard a soft knock on his door. "Go away, Tempest. I don't want to talk to you." Denzel snapped.

"It's me." Cloud's voice came from outside the door. "I want to talk to you for a minute. Can I come in?"

Denzel sighed. "Yeah... Come in."

He crossed his arms as Cloud entered and sat down next to him. "So what's going on with you?" Cloud asked bluntly. "You have been pushing everyone way, you rarely leave your room and you aren't being very nice to your sister."

Denzel frowned, staring down at his hands. "She's not my sister." he said quietly. Cloud frowned. "Of course she is. It doesn't matter if you are adopted, you are just as much a part of this family as her." He said firmly.

Denzel shook his head. "It doesn't feel like it. Sometimes it feels like you spend more time with her because she is your real kid." Cloud flinched as though he had been struck. "That's not true! Tifa and I love you just as much as Tempest. If we spend more time with her, it's just because she's younger. She is only 7, you are 16. She needs a lot more guidance than you."

Denzel thought about that for a moment and nodded in understanding but he still seemed troubled. "But what will happen when I leave home? I'll have to find a job soon, and find a place of my own... will I still have a family? Or will you forget about me and focus only on Tempest?"

Cloud reached out and patted Denzel on the shoulder. "Of course you will still have a family here. We will always be your family. Blood has nothing to do with it. Do you think I share an ounce of blood with Barret? Or Cid or Vincent? They are my family either way, in fact I value them more than the man I actually share blood with."

Denzel smiled a bit. "You mean Rufus, huh? Yeah... I guess you are right." Denzel seemed to lighten up a bit. "Maybe I have been a bit of a jerk lately. Maybe I should go apologize to my little sister."

Cloud nodded. "I think she would like that."

...

"Ow! Mom, that hurts!" Tempest grumbled as her mother tried to comb her daughter's unruly hair. Tifa combed it down but couldn't help but laugh when the wild spikes on top of her head sprung back up.

"Mom... It's not funny." Tempest pouted as her mother chuckled. "It's not fair! How come I can't have pretty hair like you?"

"Sorry kiddo. I guess you can blame me for your hair troubles." Cloud said, emerging from the hallway. "Thanks a lot, dad." Tempest said crossing her arms.

"There is nothing wrong with your hair, I think it looks cute." Tifa said kissing her daughters forehead.

Just then the doorbell rang. "I got it!" Tempest said excitedly, running for the front door. She swung open the door and a big smile spread across her face. "Hey! Uncle Barret!"

"Hey! Spikey Junior!" Barret laughed giving her a bear hug. Marlene followed behind. "Look how tall you are getting!" She said patting Tempest on the head.

"To be fair, I think the hair adds another 3 inches." Cid remarked with a chuckle as he joined the group.

Tempest crossed her arms. "Geez everyone makes fun of my hair..." She pouted. "Tell me about it." Cloud laughed as he approached his friends. "Is everyone ready to go?" He asked.

Tempest perked up. "Go where? Are we leaving?" Cloud nodded at his daughter. "Yup. It's a surprise though. You'll see when we get there. Come on everyone. Let's mosey."

Barret cringed. "Damn...you still say 'let's mosey'? You're killing me." He shook his head. Cloud simply laughed and ushered everyone out the door.

...

Denzel smiled at Marlene. He missed having her around. Marlene had gone back to live with Barret shortly before Tempest was born. Barret had been offered a place back in Corel after the discovery of oil in the area. He missed having someone more his age around.

He watched as Tempest jumped excitedly when she discovered they were at the Gold Saucer. The Gold Saucer was a chocobo themed park, it had a little bit of everything. It had rides, games, chocobo racing, a battle arena and even a theater for plays.

"Can I go on the roller coaster?" Tempest said with eyes shining. "Sure, but you need to have an adult ride with you." Cloud said. "But don't ask me. The airship ride over here was about all my stomach can handle."

Yuffie nodded in agreement. "Yup, same here. Just looking at that roller coaster is making me nauseous..." She said, shaking her head. Tempest put her hands on her hips. "You guys and your lame motion sickness!"

Yuffie gestured at Vincent. "Why don't you ask him? He may not look like it, but he loves roller coasters. I bet if you ask him, he'll go with you."

Denzel raised an eyebrow. Vincent was such a serious person, who rarely even smiled. The thought of him on a roller coaster seemed odd, however, to his surprise, Vincent nodded joined Tempest in line.

"Huh. I have never seen the like." Cloud commented. "How did you know Vincent liked roller coasters?" He asked, turning to Yuffie.

"There's a lot of things I know about Vincent that you guys don't." She said with a wink.

...

A man and a woman dressed in dark cloaks entered the Gold Saucer. The Gold Saucer was a popular destination for families. It was a prime location for finding children.

"I believe I have found one." The man said. "Look at the eyes on that little girl, getting on the roller coaster."

The woman nodded. "The child has Mako eyes. This is one Hojo will want. Follow her."

The cloaked figures slipped in to the crowds of people and found a place to observe their new target.

...

Vincent couldn't suppress a bit of amusement at seeing Tempest's wild hair sticking up in an even more exaggerated fashion after the roller coaster ride. "Let's go again!" Tempest said bouncing up and down excitedly.

"Maybe later." Vincent said quietly. "I'm sure there is much more things here you would like to do." Vincent's usual serious expression returned.

"Oh... Okay." Tempest said then she bounded off to rejoin her parents waiting outside the attraction.

Vincent looked around, scanning the crowds. He had the odd feeling of being watched. He spotted two shadowy figures from the far side of the park. Vincent slipped quietly through the crowds of people and made his way to the archway where he had spotted them, but by the time he got there, they were gone.

...

"You used to race chocobos?!" Tempest asked her father with a bright smile.

Cloud nodded. "Yeah. A long time ago. I was pretty good at it too. I had a golden chocobo called Jake. I used to win quite a few races on that bird."

"What's a golden chocobo?" Tempest asked. "Are they special? Can I see one?"

Tifa laughed at the flood of questions. "They are very special. It takes a lot of time and patience to breed one, but if you do, not only are they fast, but they can travel across any terrain, mountains, rivers, even across oceans.

Denzel looked at Cloud with interest. "Could you enter a chocobo race now?" Tempest perked up. "Hey yeah! You should, Daddy! I want to see you race"

Cloud scratched his head. "Err... I don't know, kids. It's been a while. I'm a bit rusty"

"Pleeeeease?" Tempest asked with big eyes. "Yeah! Come on! We don't care if you win or not." Denzel agreed.

"Oh fine." Cloud relented. "Just ONE race though." He said with a bit of a smile.

"You are a real pushover, ya know that?" Barret said with a smirk.

"Oh please. As if you are any better with Marlene." Cloud countered.

Barret frowned defensively. "Hey! I can stand my ground when I need to. I don't give Marlene everything she wants."

At that moment Marlene ran over to Barret. "Hey, Dad! Could I have some money for the arcade?"

Without a moments hesitation Barret handed her some Gil. "Sure, Marly. Don't spend it all in one place." He said with a smile.

"Thanks, Dad!" Marlene said as she raced off to the arcade. Cloud raised an eyebrow at Barret. "Yeah. You really know how to put your foot down." He remarked with a smirk.

"Oh shut the hell up, Spikey. " Barret said, shaking his head.

Cloud let out a heavy sigh. "Well I'd better go get signed up for the next race. I'm probably going to fall on my ass."

...

Cloud entered the the room where all the chocobo jockeys waited before the start of a race. Ester, an extravagantly dressed woman in charge of registration approached Cloud with a bright smile. "Cloud! It's been a long time! You are going to race today?"

Cloud scratched his head a bit awkwardly. "Yeah. My kids pressured me into it." He walked over to the stables and looked at the chocobos waiting there. "How is Jake doing?" He said stopping in front of a stable with an impressive golden chocobo.

"He's doing quite well. He's one of our best racers. I think he misses you though." Ester said with a smile.

The golden chocobo jumped up as soon as he saw Cloud, letting out an excited squawk. "Wark! Wark wark!" Jake affectionately pushed his large head into Cloud's shoulder.

"Alright, boy." Cloud said patting the large bird on the head. "You think we got one more race in us?"

"Wark!" The chocobo squawked excitedly in response. He followed behind Cloud to the starting line.

...

"Has anyone seen Vincent?" Yuffie asked as she joined her friends as they watched the race from the sidelines.

"Nope. Haven't seen the vampire since he took Tempest on the roller coaster." Cid said with a shrug.

"I'd better go find him!" Yuffie exclaimed as she ran off towards the Event Center. She ducked and weaved through the surging crowds of people, looking for Vincent's scarlet cape. She ran right into a woman in a dark cloak.

"Watch where you are going, you klutz!" The woman snapped as she whipped around and stomped off. Before Yuffie could say a word, the strange woman had disappeared in the sea of people.

Yuffie looked down an saw that the woman had dropped a camera. Yuffie picked it up and scanned the crowds in search of the woman, but she was gone.

"Yuffie!" She heard a deep voice call behind her. Yuffie turned to see Vincent run up to her, looking a bit frantic. "That woman! Did you see her face?" He said with urgency in his voice.

Yuffie shrugged. "Not really. She took off in a hurry. She dropped her camera too. What's the big deal?" She looked at Vincent with curiosity.

"Let me see that camera." Vincent said, snatching it out of Yuffie's hands. He clicked through the pictures that were stored on the camera's memory and Vincent's eyes widened with horror. "I was right... We were being watched." He said in a dark tone.

Yuffie peered at the photos and her heart dropped. Every picture was of Tempest. Whoever had taken the pictures, had been following Tempest all around the park. Vincent let out a heavy breath.

"We have to find that woman." He said worriedly. "We can't allow Tempest to be a target of these...monsters."

Yuffie nodded. "I'm coming with you! Lead the way!" The two darted through the swarms of people in the direction where the woman had gone.

...

"Daddy! You won!" Tempest said bouncing excitedly. "That was so awesome!"

Cloud chuckled. "Yeah, I guess I still got it." He turned to face Barret and Cid who were grumbling as they handed over a sizable amount of Gil to Tifa. "I guess you shouldn't have bet against me, right guys?" He said with a smirk.

"Oh shaddup." Cid muttered. "Even you thought you were gonna lose."

Cloud shrugged. "Oh well. Tifa made out well." He said with amusement as his wife pocketed her winnings with a satisfied smile. "The fireworks will start soon. We should head for the gondola." He said glancing at his phone, noticing the time.

Tempest's eyes widened. "There's a fireworks show?! This place has everything!" She said running ahead towards the gondola.

"Where does she get all that energy?" Tifa chuckled as she followed her daughter.

...

The gondola was suspended on a large wire that circled the entire park, and passed by the Chocobo racing track that wrapped around the park.

Tifa had been here once before. One night, years before. Before Meteorfall. A night where Tifa was worried she was losing Cloud. His memories had seemed jumbled, and he was drifting away from her, and she wasn't blind to the way he looked at Aerith. Aerith was more outgoing, and expressed her feelings far better than she could. Tifa liked Aerith, she was a sweet girl who readily put herself in danger for people she barely knew, even getting captured by Shinra for protecting Marlene. Tifa was once outgoing but that was before she had lost her mother... then she become more distant, and kept her feelings locked away, especially her feelings for Cloud. Now he was slipping away, being lured away by Aerith. A girl not even Tifa could bring herself to hate. Despite the obvious rivalry, they became fast friends. But Tifa saw an opportunity to spend time with Cloud alone at the Gold Saucer. She mustered all the courage she could and asked him to spend time with her, just the two of them. They had gone and taken part in a ridiculous play for couples, then gone on the gondola. Tifa lamented the fact that she still couldn't tell Cloud how she felt. He seemed so far away, even though he was sitting right in front of her.

"Aerith would probably be able to just come out and say it.." Tifa had muttered haplessly. Cloud looked at her silently with a slightly confused expression.

...

"Tifa... you alright?" Cloud waved a hand in front of his wife. Tifa shook her head clear, coming back to the present and out of her memories. "Y-yeah. Sorry, I was just deep in thought is all." Tifa said as she glanced out the window of the gondola.

"It's been awhile since the last time we were here, right?" Cloud said as he watched the fireworks explode all around. "Not since our first date." He said with a laugh. "Look how much has changed since then." He said with a thoughtful expression.

Tifa nodded in agreement. Yes, much had changed, some of it good, some of it horrible. The planet had survived Meteorfall, Sephiroth had been defeated, but Aerith was dead. Midgar was nothing but ruins, and many people had died.

Tifa let out a heavy sigh. She looked at her daughter. Tempest had never known the world before Meteorfall. Shinra was a shell of it's former self. Perhaps the following generations of humans had a chance at a new future. Tifa tried to start her life over, and her days were happier now then they had been in a long time, but she still often felt the past weighing down on her. Her actions as a member of Avalanche... the deaths of innocents after blowing up Mako Reactors in Midgar, the death of Aerith, her dear friend, at the hands of Sephiroth and the loss of her hometown. She knew Cloud felt those losses too. When the Geostigma epidemic had ravaged the Planet, he had sunk into a deep depression, the deaths of Zack and Aerith weighed on him especially hard.

After the Geostigma epidemic was resolved, Cloud seemed happier, slowly recovering from his depressed state, even some of his quirky personality had begun to resurface, the Cloud, Tifa remembered from her childhood. He smiled more now as well, but even still there were times when he would sit quietly and zone out. Perhaps in some ways, they would never truly recover.

"We'll be alright." Cloud's voice brought her out of her thoughts. He was watching her intently, as if reading her thoughts. "I know it's hard sometimes, but I think we are doing okay." He said with a small smile.

"Hey wow! Dad! Dad! Did you see that one?! Did you see it?!" Tempest said excitedly pointing out the window at the fireworks. She turned around to see if he was looking, but her parents were sharing a passionate kiss.

"Mom! Dad! Eww!" Tempest cried, covering her eyes. "I'm right here! Gross!"

Cloud raised an eyebrow. "Hey, you aren't supposed to be looking, you are supposed to be watching the fireworks." Tifa laughed. "Turn around, Tempest."

"Ugh! I can't believe you guys!" Tempest grumbled and faced the widow once again, as brilliant colored explosions lit up the night sky.

...

After the gondola ride, it was quite late and Tempest, despite insisting that she was not tired, keep yawning. As the group began to head for the exit of the park, Vincent and Yuffie ran towards Cloud and Tifa. They looked very concerned, and Yuffie looked out of breath.

Cloud gave his two friends a confused glance. "What's going on with you guys?" He raised a brow as Yuffie tried to take a deep breath. "You guys were gone for hours." Tifa commented.

"Cloud... I would like to speak with you for a moment." Vincent said, with foreboding tone. Cloud exchanged glances with Tifa. Tifa nodded with understanding. "I'll take Tempest to the airship. We will be waiting for you." She said, picking up her daughter who seemed ready to fall asleep at any moment.

Cloud followed Vincent to a more secluded part of the park, where they could speak in private.

Cloud gave Vincent a curious glance. "So what's going on? Is something wrong."

Vincent nodded. "Unfortunately something is very wrong." Vincent handed over the camera that Yuffie had found. Cloud's eyes widened in horror as he scrolled through the photographs stored on the camera. "What the hell is this? Who's camera is this? Who's stalking my daughter?!" Clouds voice raised several decibels as his anger rose.

Vincent shook his head with disappointment. "I...I don't know. We only caught a brief glimpse of them. A man and a woman. They got away from us. I'm sorry, Cloud. I failed." Vincent's scarlet eyes were dark as he stared into the distance.

Cloud felt sick to his stomach. Were these monsters still watching them? Would his daughter ever be safe, now that she was clearly a target? "What I am going to tell Tifa..." He muttered haplessly.

...

On the airship, Tempest had fallen asleep on the ride home. Tifa sat silently with a stony expression as Cloud and Vincent informed her about the the camera and the mysterious cloaked man and woman.

Tifa's brown eyes were filled with anger. "They made a mistake targeting my family." Her voice shook with emotion as she clenched her fists.

"I won't let anything happen to her." Cloud said, placing a hand on his wife's shoulder. "I promise."

...

Denzel sat on his bed, listening to Cloud and Tifa outside his bedroom door as they spoke in hushed voices outside Tempest's room.

"I will stay up as keep watch outside." he heard Cloud say. "I won't be able to sleep anyway."

Tifa responded quietly, "This is just awful." She muttered despairingly. "I already feel like we are constantly being watched..."

Cloud nodded. "I know... I don't know what to do right now, but I will figure out something." Cloud grabbed his Fusion sword and walked out the front door. He sat outside on the steps of his home, his faintly glowing blue eyes, scanning the streets intensely.

Cloud noticed some movement in the bushes across the road. He stood up quickly, bolting across the street swinging down his large sword forcefully down on top of the bush.

"I know you are in there!" Cloud snarled "I know you are watching! You bastard!" He brought the sword up to swing it down yet again when a familiar voice called back.

"Wait! Wait, stop! Okay you got us!" A pair of hands shot up in surrender and two men in black suits stood up. "Geez, Cloud... anger management.." The familiar red head muttered.

Cloud lowered his sword, his anger waning and replaced with annoyance. "Reno... Rude. What the hell are you guys doing?" Cloud returned his sword to his back and crossed his arms.

"They are doing their job." A voice said behind him. A third suited man with long dark hair and a serious expression walked up to Cloud. "They are guarding the President's niece, as they are supposed to." He said coolly.

Cloud's frown deepened. "My family is none of your concern, Tseng." Cloud glared intensely at the dark haired Turk. "Get your goons out of here. I don't want Turks around my family."

Tseng looked at Cloud, unfazed.

" Why wouldn't you want the help. I see you have noticed that your daughter is a target of Hojo now." Tseng gestured at Reno and Rude. "We have a duty to protect the President's family. That includes your daughter. President Rufus has a vested interest in Hojo not getting his hands on Tempest. We can protect your daughter, Cloud."

Cloud clenched his jaw. "Oh sure. Turks are great at protecting little girls... Just like you protected Aerith, right?" He said bitterly.

Tseng flinched a bit. "What happened to Aerith is regrettable... " he said quietly.

Cloud shook his head. "Just stay the hell away from my daughter. I'm perfectly capable of protecting my own family." Cloud turned and stomped off across the road back to his home.

...

The following morning was bright and beautiful. Cloud couldn't enjoy it however. He had stayed up the whole night, Tifa had as well, unable to sleep a wink. They sat slouched at the table looking exhausted and miserable.

Tempest bounded out of her room, unaware of the events that had transpired while she was asleep. "Good morning!" She said cheerily and she plopped down in a seat at the table. Her bright smile dropped when she looked at her parents. "What's wrong?"

Cloud and Tifa exchanged glances. Tifa forced a smile as she looked at her daughter. "It's nothing, sweetie. We're just tired."

Tempest peered at her mother, seemingly not convinced but she nodded. Tempest quickly ate her breakfast, but noticed her parents were uncharacteristically quiet. "May I go play outside?" She asked finally, breaking the silence.

"No... not today." Tifa said quietly, shaking her head. Tempest frowned. "But it's sunny out! All the other kids will be playing outside!" She protested.

"Your mother said no!" Cloud said, more sharply than he had intended. Tempest looked at her father with blue eyes wide with hurt. "Okay... fine." She mumbled and stood up, dragging her feet she walked to her room.

Cloud shook his head. "I didn't mean to..." His words trailed off. Tifa looked at him with understanding. "I know you are just worried about her. I am too. I don't feel safe letting her outside..."

Cloud nodded solemnly. "I know, but we can't keep her cooped up inside all the time. I... I just don't know what to do." Cloud took out his phone and looked at it thoughtfully. "Maybe it would be best if we left town for awhile."

Tifa frowned. "Left town? What do you mean?"

Cloud continued, "I mean, close up the bar and lay low for awhile. Maybe go somewhere where there isn't so many people."

Tifa looked thoughtful for a moment. "Yes, but where would we go? Rocket Town and Corel are not small towns anymore, especially since the discovery of oil in the area. Kalm and Junon are places where children have disappeared as well."

Cloud stroked his chin. "What about Cosmo Canyon? It's out in the middle of nowhere, and it's a small community. We trust those people. Perhaps Nanaki would allow us to stay there for a time."

Tifa let out a heavy sigh. "I don't like the idea of taking her so far away. It's not an ideal situation but...maybe you are right."

Cloud nodded. "I'll make some phone calls. We should leave as soon as possible. Start getting packed."

...

It was the middle of the night when Tempest felt her mother gently shaking her awake.

"Tempest! Wake up, sweetie." Her mother said in a hushed voice. "We need to go somewhere. You need to get up."

Tempest rubbed her eyes as she looked up at her mother with a questioning expression. "What? But it's the middle of the night? Where are we going?"

Tifa shook her head. "I will tell you everything on the way, but right now we need to go. Get up." Tifa nudged her daughter urgently.

Tempest was ushered out the door with a small bag with only a few belongings. Her father was standing in the doorway, looking around intensely as if there were enemies behind every rock.

"I knocked Reno and Rude unconscious, but we will have to hurry before they come to and call for reinforcements." Cloud said in a hoarse whisper. "I don't want the Turks to know where we are going."

Cloud and Tifa got on Cloud's motorbike while Tempest climbed on the back of Denzel's smaller motorbike. "Let's get out of here. Cid is waiting in the airship just outside the city limits." Cloud said to his family. "Denzel, follow me."

...

Tempest sat silently during the airship ride to Cosmo Canyon. She clutched a small gold locket she always wore, tightly in her hand. The locket had a photo of her parents and a photo of Denzel.

Tempest had a mixture of emotions as she gazed out the window and watched the changing scenery as they approached their destination. On one hand, Tempest was excited. She had always wanted to visit Cosmo Canyon. Nanaki always spoke so fondly of his wilderness home. On the other hand, Tempest was quite worried about being so far from home, and about the people who wanted to take her away.

"Alright. We're here." Cid said as he began to lower the airship. Tempest looked out the window and saw beautiful mountains and rolling hills. This was much different than the steel skyscrapers and pavement that she was used to seeing.

Cloud nodded at Cid gratefully. "Thank you, Cid. I appreciate you coming to get us on such short notice. Cloud then turned to his family. "Alright everyone. Let's go."

Denzel quietly stood up and looked at Cloud. "I'm not going with you." He said. Cloud looked taken aback. "What? What do you mean?"

Denzel continued. "Barret has offered me a job in Corel. I want to stay with him and Marlene. I have no reason to stay in Cosmo Canyon."

Tifa looked at Denzel, her brown eyes filled with pain. "You...you don't want to stay with us anymore?" She sounded on the verge of tears.

Denzel shook his head vigorously. "No! That's not it at all! Please don't be upset. It's just that I've been meaning to get a real job for awhile, this is the perfect opportunity." Denzel returned his gaze to Cloud. "You guys have done so much for me, but you are right, Cloud. It's time for me to take some responsibility. We are already close to Corel anyway."

Tempest went over to Denzel, and hugged him tightly. "Please don't go! I'm sorry I'm a pest! I won't bother you anymore! Please just stay!" She sobbed.

Denzel patted Tempest on the head. "That has nothing to do with it. Im not leaving because of anything you've done, and I'm never going to stop being your brother. This isn't goodbye. I'll still come and see you."

Tempest sniffed and rubbed her eyes. "You promise?"

"Yes. I promise." Denzel said, giving her a hug. Cloud approached and grabbed Denzel's shoulder. "If this is really what you want... I won't stop you, but just remember you always have a family with us." He said quietly. Denzel nodded silently. It was going to be hard leaving the people who had taken him in and cared for him since he was 8, but he had already made up his mind.


	6. Sacrifice

Cloud lead his family up the rocky pathway that lead to the small community that lived in Cosmo Canyon. Cloud peered up ahead and saw the familiar shape of Nanaki, silhouetted against the fiery sky as dawn began to break.

Nanaki bounded down the path, the flame on his tail, illuminating the path and casting dancing shadows all around. "Welcome! I am pleased you have arrived safely." He greeted as he approached.

Cloud dipped his head at his old friend. "Thank you, Nanaki. I owe you big for this."

Nanaki shook his head. "Nonsense. You owe me nothing. You are family. Family is always welcome." He turned and lead the small group up the path and under an archway.

Tempest's eyes widened with wonder as she saw where Nanaki lived. There were makeshift dwellings in the various caves along the canyon, and a large observatory sat perched on the top of the canyon. A massive bonfire burned in the center of the small village, illuminating the surrounding area.

Small faces peered from behind rocks at the newcomers. Nanaki laughed. "Come on out, children! It's alright. Cloud, Tifa and Tempest are friends." He called out.

Slowly, some children around Tempest's age emerged from the shadows. A little girl with blonde curls finally summoned some courage and approached Tempest. "You are going to stay with us in the canyon?" She said in a small voice.

Tempest shot the girl a bright smile. "Yeah, for a little while! What's your name?"

"Navi." The small girl said, a smile slowly spread across her face. "Come, we will show you around." She said warming up a bit.

Tifa smiled as she saw her daughter run off with the other children to explore the village. "You know, Cloud... I think she will like it here." She said.

Cloud nodded but his face has a solemn expression. "Yes. I think she will be alright."

Nanaki lifted his head in a gesture at the large observatory that had once served at the home of Bugenhagen, a wise old man whom Nanaki had affectionately called "Grandpa."

"You may stay in the Observatory if you wish." He said quietly. "No one has used it since Grandpa passed."

Cloud and Tifa dipped their heads in appreciation and gathered their few belongings and made their way up the mountain.

...

That night, Tifa gazed over at her daughter. Tempest's eyes were shining with glee as she described exploring the canyon. She has chocobo feathers in her hair, gifted to her by the children of the canyon.

"I'm part of the tribe, mom!" Tempest beemed. "This place is so cool!"

Suddenly Cloud's phone rang. Cloud looked and saw it was Barret. Cloud answered it quickly. "Hey, Barret. What is it?"

"Spikey! There you are! We got trouble!" Barret said in a booming voice.

Cloud's eyes narrowed. "What do you mean, trouble? What's going on?"

"It's a mess! Edge is under attack! There's damn monsters everywhere! These are no ordinary monsters either... They're mutated or some shit!" Barret yelled. "Cid and I are in over our heads over here! I know you are trying to lay low with your family, but we sure could use some help!"

Cloud was silent for a moment. He looked over at Tifa who was watching him with concern. She nodded at him, understanding.

"I'll be there." He said finally. "Just sit tight. I'm on my way." He said quickly. He hung up his phone and rushed towards his belongs gathering up healing items, materia and his sword.

Tifa watched him with worry etched across her brow. She said in a quiet voice. "Should I come with you?"

Cloud turned to look at her and slowly shook his head. "No. Someone should stay here with our daughter." He sighed as he looked at Tifa. "Don't worry, I'll be back soon."

Tifa nodded but her eyes were sad. "Okay. Just...please be careful." She wrapped her arms around him tightly and buried her face in his chest. "I'll miss you."

Cloud stroked Tifa's hair gently. "Hey, don't worry about it. I won't be gone long." He sighed as he looked at his daughter. She was fast asleep. He quietly walked out the door of the observatory and made his way down the mountain and out of the small village.

Tifa watched with a heavy heart as Cloud mounted his bike and sped away. She told herself to stop worrying. He would be fine, right?

...

"Eat this you piece of shit!" Barret snarled as he unleashed a barrage of bullets at a Behemoth as it tore through the town. Small fires burned amongst the smoldering rubble. Much of the people of the city were either hiding inside of buildings or had fled altogether. Barret, Cid, Vincent and Yuffie were in the downtown area fighting back the onslaught of mutated creatures.

Yuffie twirled her large Shuriken as she dispatched a smaller monster that was attempting to tear down a door. "Barret!" She called. "Is Cloud coming or not?! We are getting our asses kicked!"

"Yeah! He said he was on his way!" Barret yelled back. "Just hold ground! We got this!" Barret dug out an ether from his pack and tossed it to Cid. "He's better hurry his spikey ass up!"

"I'm already here." Cloud said approaching the group. He dismounted off his bike and swung his sword down on a large monster headed towards the group. "It's about damn time!" Barret said.

"Alright! Let's kick some ass! Just like old times!" Cid said with a smirk, twirling his javelin around and taking a battle stance next to his friends. Cloud narrowed his eyes as he readied himself. "Looks like Hojo has been busy..."

...

"He left without saying good bye?!" Tempest asked her mother, her luminous blue eyes wide with hurt. "But... Why?!"

Tifa stroked her daughters head comfortingly. "He left late last night. He didn't want to wake you. He won't be gone long, he just needs to help your uncle Barret."

"Oh..." Tempest said, staring at the ground. She dragged herself to the table and picked at her breakfast half heartedly.

"When you get done there, why don't you go and play with your new friends in the village?" Tifa suggested, trying to cheer her up. "I'm sure there are lots of places for you to explore."

Tempest shrugged. "Yeah... I guess so." She finished her breakfast in silence then without a word went outside and headed downhill to the village.

...

The evening was drawing on when the last of the monsters where being chased from Edge. Yuffie swung her Shuriken in circles over her head in a victory dance as the city was cleared of the threat.

"That looks to be the last of em'." Cid commented as he approached Vincent and Yuffie. "Say, have any of you seen Cloud? I haven't seen hide nor hair of him for hours."

Yuffie scratched her head. "Uh, I thought he was with you and Barret?"

Barret shook his head. "Nope. He took off in another direction. I guess he decided to do his own thing. Typical." Barret took out his phone and dialed Cloud's number.

The phone rang, but no one answered. "Goddammit Spikey! Answer your phone!" Barret yelled into the receiver.

Vincent frowned and held up his hand. "Hold on, Barret. I think I heard something." Vincent turned and headed towards a narrow alleyway filled with debris from the battle. "Barret. Call Cloud's phone again." Vincent said.

Barret raised an eyebrow but called the number again. "Alright. But I doubt he'll answer."

Vincent frowned and continued down the alley. He held up a hand to keep the others quiet, then that's when he heard it. A phone ringing. Vincent looked down where the sound was coming and saw with shock that Cloud's phone was lying on the ground in a puddle of blood.

"Barret..." Vincent said in a quiet voice. "I found his phone." He picked it up and looked around the corner. There in the street was Cloud's motorbike, and his Fusion sword laying on the ground, covered in blood, with no sign of Cloud.

The group gathered around and looked on in horrified silence. "Damn it, Spikey..." Barret said in a sad voice. "Why do you always go off on your own."

Yuffie looked at Barret with wide eyes. "You... You don't think he's dead do you?" She asked. Barret couldn't bring himself to answer her question, he simply stood there with downcast eyes.

"This is my fault. I was the one who called him and asked him to come." Barret finally said. "What am I going to tell Tifa..."

...

Nanaki sat around the large bonfire that always burned in the center of Cosmo Canyon. The the children of the canyon sat with wide eyes and listened attentively to Nanaki as he told a tale of one of his adventures exploring Gaia.

Tifa looked over at Tempest who was sitting further back and picking at her dinner with a forlorn expression on her face.

"Sweetie... you need to eat your dinner." Tifa scolded lightly. Tempest shook her head. "I'm not hungry..."

"I know you miss your dad, but you still need to eat." Tifa insisted.

"Tell us another story, Nanaki!" A little girl said excitedly. "Tell us the story of the mighty warrior Seto and the evil Gi Tribe!" A chorus of other voices joined in as the children urged Nanaki.

"Again?" Nanaki said with a chuckle. "But I told that story last week."

"Tell it again!" Insisted a young boy. "Yeah!" another child added, "Tempest hasn't heard it!"

Nanaki shook his head, but his remaining eye twinkled with amusement. "Oh very well. I'll tell it again. Gather around, children and I will tell you the tale of the greatest warrior who ever lived in this Canyon. My father, Seto." Nanaki began.

Tempest looked up at the steep rocky walls that surrounded the canyon village. The fire casting dancing shadows that seemed to bring Nanaki's story to life.

"My father left my mother and I in a safe place as he went deep into the canyon, as hordes of the enemy closed in upon him." Nanaki said, with a hint of emotion in his voice. "He was hopelessly outnumbered but he stood his ground, taking down one foe at a time. The Gi tribe shot him with poisoned arrows that slowly turn you into stone, but my father kept fighting. The Gi tribe was defeated, but my father was petrified where he stood. He stands encased in stone to this day, deep in the heart of the canyon, guarding his home even now." Nanaki said with deep admiration. "Seto is a hero. A hero I hope one day to measure up to."

The children listened in silent awe to Nanaki's tale. Tempest couldn't help but think of her own father. She had been told the story of Meteorfall many times. How both her mother and father and their friends had help defeat a terrible man named Sephiroth. A man who was bent on the destruction of the world. All this had happened years before she was born, but from the haunted looks in the faces of people who had lived through it, she never questioned how terrible it must have been. Tempest knew her middle name was in honor of someone dear to her parents who had died during the conflict. A woman named Aerith, who's sacrifice helped save the world.

"Tempest...it's late." Tifa said nudging her daughter. "We should probably get some sleep. I will try and call your father again. He hasn't been answering his phone, but he's probably busy."

Tempest yawned and trudged up the hill to the observatory. She hoped her father would return soon, but it did no good to fret about it. She was tired, and the warmth of the fire had made her even more ready to sleep.


End file.
